Luis Castillo’s struggles continue as Seattle Mariners thumped by Twins
MINNEAPOLIS – The results, which have become familiar in the early stages of the season, won’t be the only reason that an eventual change might get made.
But how the most results came about – the decreased velocity and lack of life on all of his pitches – was glaring for Luis Castillo on Monday night.
Pitching in perpetual precipitation that varied between a heavy mist or drizzle soaked Target Field, the veteran right-hander slogged his way through another run-filled outing for the Mariners in what would be an 11-4 drubbing by the Minnesota Twins .
Yes, it was the same Minnesota Twins that had lost five games in a row and nine of their last 10. The Mariners saw their four-game winning streak come to an end.
The conditions were less than ideal. It looked like the game would be postponed for most of the day. It was just miserable enough for some, well, the ones who could remember it, to long for the days of the old Hubert H. Humphrey Dome.
“Tough one tonight,” manager Dan Wilson said. “Kind of some raw conditions out there tonight. They were able to put some runs up early.”
Castillo pitched five innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts to fall to 0-2 on the season. Of the 48 pitches that the Twins swung at, they whiffed on only seven of them. Minnesota had nine players put balls in play with exit velocities of 95 mph or higher, including six over 100 mph.
“It was a tough night out there,” Wilson said. “It was just a day where he probably didn’t have the stuff he wanted, but that’s what makes it so good that he was able to battle through and get us the five innings and bridge us to where we needed to get to. Finishing strong, I think was really important.”
Since his first start of the season where he pitched six shutout innings vs. the Yankees on March 30 at T-Mobile Park, Castillo has been ineffective-to-average in the five starts that followed. He’s pitched into the sixth inning just once and the Mariners have lost four of those games. In those five starts, he’s pitched a combined 22⅓ innings, allowing 24 runs (20 earned) for an 8.06 ERA. He’s given up 35 hits, including four homers while issuing nine walks and striking out 19.
“I’ve been in this game a long time and you know some things like this happen,” Castillo said through interpreter Freddy Llanos. “You go through some bad stretches. All I have to do is continue to throw the ball the way I’ve been throwing – attacking the zone. iIknow that the results are going to come. You go through these bad stretches, but things come around and go your way.”
Asked about the dip in velocity and if the conditions were a factor, Castillo didn’t disagree with the premise.
“The weather was a little difficult,” Castillo said. “The mound was a little wet and a little slippery. There was a fear of sliding and hurting yourself. But I felt like when I wanted to or if I needed to put more velocity on it, I could.”
He went through a similar stretch of struggles in the final months of the 2025 season. In four starts from Aug. 15 to Sept. 1 last season, Castillo went 0-2, allowing 19 earned runs on 30 hits, including six homers in 17 innings pitched. He made a mechanical adjustment with pitching coach Pete Woodworth, going 3-0 in his final four starts, allowing three runs over 25⅓ innings pitched.
“The thing I remember most was I just kept working and kept a positive mindset,” Castillo said.
But these current “struggles” are a little more glaring because they come at a time in the season where Castillo should be fresh and also when Bryce Miller is working his way back on a rehab assignment for an oblique strain and top pitching prospect Kade Anderson is carving up hitters in Double-A Arkansas.
The Mariners have said they plan for Miller to use all 30 days allowed for his rehab stint to help build his pitch count up and not have any limitations on him when he returns. He started it on April 18, so the Mariners have a fair amount of time.
Miller made his second start of his rehab stint last Friday night in Everett. He pitched three scoreless innings, striking out six batters. He threw 57 pitches. He is expected to make this third start Thursday at Cheney Stadium for Triple-A Tacoma. The goal is for him to increase pitch count to around 65. He could make two more starts before being reinstated from the injured list, increasing his pitch total by 15 to 20 in each of the outings.
While there is a growing sentiment on Mariners’ social media for a change to be made (when isn’t there?), these decisions are not rushed by baseball executives. Being reactionary to moments or even a few weeks of games is something they try to avoid. General manager Justin Hollander gave every indication they wouldn’t make a decision on a potential roster move regarding Miller until he was absolutely ready to return. It would take something unexpected to change that timeline or thinking.
The damage for Castillo could’ve been worse.
With two outs in the second inning, Castillo gave up an RBI double to Luke Keaschall. He loaded the bases himself, hitting Matt Wallner with a pitch and walking the No. 9 hitter Tristan Gray to bring up All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton.
Castillo was able to strike out Buxton swinging to avoid further damage.
But Castillo didn’t completely avoided the big inning in his outing, he delayed it for an inning. With one out in the third inning, he allowed a triple to Trevor Larnanch on a deep drive to center that Julio Rodriguez made an awkward attempt upon, almost anticipating a collision with the wall well before it happened. Castillo walked Bell and gave up an RBI single to Ryan Jeffers.
Kody Clemens then delivered the big blow, crushing a 94-mph sinker over the wall in right field for a three-run homer.
Buxton got his revenge against Castillo in the fourth inning, launching a two-run homer to left field.
Down 7-0, the Mariners pushed Castillo through another inning, trying to get some length to save their bullpen. He was able to work a scoreless fifth.
Minnesota continued to add on against the Mariners middle relievers, scoring a run off Cole Wilcox in the sixth and three off Alex Hoppe in the eighth.
It was an unexpected explosion of offense from the Twins, who averaged 3.4 runs per game over the last 10 games, posting a .213/.302/.328 slash line with nine homers, 41 walks and 84 strikeouts. It was just the third time this season that they scored double-digit runs.
Playing from behind since the second inning on, the Mariners picked up two runs in the fifth off Twin starter Connor Prielipp. Mitch Garver’s RBI single was the Mariners first and only hit off Prielipp. J.P. Crawford later scored on Cole Young’s flyout in foul territory.
Cal Raleigh highlighted the offensive showing with a two-run homer to right field in the eighth inning off reliever Andrew Morris. It was Raleigh’s seventh homer of the season, which leads the Mariners.
Naylor returns to lineup
Josh Naylor was back in the Mariners starting lineup on Monday night after missing a game due to minor quad tightness.
The rain-soaked field and muddy conditions weren’t a deterrent for Naylor or manager Dan Wilson.
“No limitations,” Wilson said. “It was just a chance to get him out yesterday and be a little bit more (cautious) here early in the season. And I think he’s ready to go.”
No limitations meant that Naylor could steal bases if he got a good jump. It’s how he tweaked the quad in the seventh inning of Saturday’s win over the Cardinals. After swiping second base for a second time against St. Louis, he grabbed at the area above his knee and looked to be in discomfort.
The Mariners certainly wanted to get Naylor’s bat back in the lineup. He has been one of their hottest hitters of late.
In his 11 games played prior to Monday, Naylor had posted a .357/.404/.619 slash line* in 47 plate appearances with 15 hits, including two doubles, three homers, nine RBIs, five runs scored, four stolen bases, four walks and nine strikeouts.