Jose Castillo is 10 bullpens into his latest comeback, and the memory of what he once appeared to be remains vivid enough that the Padres can envision him being a significant piece in their bullpen in 2022.
It might seem longer since the 26-year-old Castillo has pitched in the major leagues, but it was just 2018 that he was one of the most effective left-handed relievers in the game.
The big man (6-foot-6, 250 pounds) with upper-90s fastball and late-breaking slider struck out the side in his major league debut on June 2 of that year and fanned 10 of the first 14 batters he faced. He finished '18 with 52 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings, a 34.7 percent K rate that ranked fifth among lefty relievers with at least 30 innings pitched. (The top four were Josh Hader, Aroldis Chapman, Sean Doolittle and Brad Hand.)
