Willi Castro DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Minnesota Twins infielder/outfielder Willi Castro and outfielder Matt Wallner are taking a seat on Tuesday against the division-rival Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium with left-hander Cole Ragans on the mound. Mickey Gasper will start at second base and bat ninth, while Harrison Bader is starting in right field and batting eighth in the lineup. This will be the 27-year-old Castro's first day off of the season after starting each of the club's first 10 games. He's gone 8-for-34 with a homer, four doubles, four RBI and a steal in 39 plate appearances. Wallner has been better as the team's primary leadoff hitter so far in 2025, batting .303/.410/.485 with four doubles, a triple, an RBI and five runs scored. Although Bader has hit .296 (8-for-27) with three homers and nine RBI early on, he'll be a low-upside DFS play on Tuesday. He has a hit in just two career at-bats versus Ragans.

The Athletic's Dan Hayes writes that if all of the Minnesota Twins options at second base -- a group that includes Willi Castro, Edouard Julien, Brooks Lee and Mickey Gasper -- are healthy going into the 2025 regular season, the team would likely give the bulk of their plate appearances at the keystone to Castro, the club's reigning MVP. However, due to a potential injury to another position player, Castro could be needed elsewhere, and the Twins are leaving their options open. The 27-year-old has been a super-utility man in Minnesota, playing every position except for catcher and first base while hitting .251/.334/.395 with 47 steals since 2023. Gasper, Lee and Julien have all impressed this spring, but Castro is the biggest lock for consistent playing time over the course of the entire season. Castro offers modest power and speed but is most useful in fantasy for his eligibility at second, third, shortstop and outfield.

Minnesota Twins infielder/outfielder Willi Castro (illness) is starting in left field and is batting sixth for Minnesota on Wednesday at Target Field against the visiting Los Angeles Angels and right-hander Jack Kochanowicz. Castro was feeling so bad that he was taken out of Monday's game early and also had the day off on Tuesday. The 27-year-old utility man will return on Wednesday, though, and has a good enough matchup to consider him as a sleeper in DFS lineups. However, fantasy managers also need to consider the fact that he has only one hit in 21 at-bats (.048) with two walks and eight strikeouts in eight games since the calendar flipped to September. Overall, the Puerto Rican switch-hitter has been a first-time All-Star in 2024 and enters the day with a .246/.329/.389 slash line with a career-high 11 home runs, a career-high 52 RBI and 13 steals in 142 games.

Minnesota Twins infielder/outfielder Willi Castro (illness) left Monday night's game early against the Los Angeles Angels at Target Field due to an undisclosed illness. Michael Helman replaced Castro in center field before he even saw his first at-bat of the game in the seven-hole. Fantasy managers can probably consider Castro day-to-day this week and should check back in to see if he's feeling good enough to return on Tuesday for the second game of the series. The 27-year-old utility man should continue seeing regular starts in center field until Byron Buxton (hip) returns from the injured list. The switch-hitting Castro made his first All-Star appearance this summer and has provided a career-high 11 home runs while also driving in 52 and stealing 13 bases in 141 games for the Twins in 2024. Castro could use a day off, as he has just one hit in 21 at-bats with two walks and eight K's in seven games in September.

Minnesota Twins infielder/outfielder Willi Castro is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Kansas City Royals. The injuries have piled up in Minnesota which has pushed Castro into basically an everyday role. He's hitting .248 with 11 home runs, 52 RBI, and 13 stolen bases in 139 games. The first-time All-Star has been in a slump at the plate lately with only two hits in his last seven games. Hopefully a day off will help Castro get back on track at the plate. Austin Martin will cover center field and bat sixth while Kyle Farmer bats fifth against left-hander Cole Ragans. Neither player brings much to the plate right now, but Martin is the better streaming option between the two. He's hitting .250 with 16 RBI, and seven stolen bases in 87 games this season.