Former ValleyCat Jason Castro Headed to Houston
Published on June 20, 2010 under New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Tri-City ValleyCats News Release
TROY, N.Y. - On Sunday, June 20, the Houston Astros announced plans to purchase the contract of catcher Jason Castro from the Triple-A affiliate Round Rock Express. Castro, a member of the 2008 Tri-City ValleyCats, is the 17th former ValleyCat to reach the major leagues.
Selected by the Houston Astros as the 10th overall pick in the June 2008 first-year player draft, Castro made his professional debut with Tri-City, where he hit .275 over 39 ballgames. He spent the 2009 season with High-A Lan-caster and Double-A Corpus Christi, and had the privilege of starting behind the plate in the 2009 MLB All-Star Future's Game.
Castro began this year in Spring Training with the Astros Major League camp, where he was in contention to be-come the starting catcher. He ended up beginning the season with Triple-A Round Rock, and posted a .265 (56-for-211) batting average with four home runs and 26 RBI in 57 games with the Express.
Castro will be in uniform on Tuesday with Houston, as the Astros begin a series with the San Francisco Giants. Houston manager Brad Mills says he expects Castro to see a good amount of playing time. "We have to see what some of these guys can do, and that's why they need to play," Mills said. "If they're the ones to go further beyond this year or whatever, we need to find those answers."
Along with Castro, the Astros have also announced plans to purchase the contract of 2006 Tri-City ValleyCat Chris Johnson. Johnson started the season in Houston, but was sent down in early May. Castro and Johnson will join former 'Cats Hunter Pence, Felipe Paulino, Tommy Manzella, and Bud Norris (currently on the 15-day DL) in Houston.
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