Cubs manager Dale Sveum called out Castro following Monday's 3-2 loss to the Giants, during which the shortstop committed another costly mental mistake.
"It's the last straw," Sveum said. "He better start getting his head in the game. Period.''
Castro's latest blunder came in the fifth inning on Monday when he forgot how many outs there were. Castro took a throw from second baseman Darwin Barney, which could have been the start of a potential double play. Instead, Castro jogged off the field without delivering a relay throw to first, giving the Giants another chance to score the tying run — an opportunity San Francisco capitalized on.
"It's very embarrassing," Castro said after the game. "This can't happen. I apologize to my team and everybody because that kind of thing is not supposed to happen."
The apology seems like hardly enough for Sveum, who is in the midst of his first year as the club's skipper. Sveum said that Castro's mental errors are the types of things that his son does in high school — "maybe."
"These things have got to stop happening,'' Sveum said, "or we're just going to stop playing him.
"It's something obviously that's unacceptable at any time.''
Castro, who is in the midst of his third major league season, was selected to the All-Star Game last season, and could be poised for a return trip this season. He's batting .305 with four home runs and 32 RBIs in 54 games.
A trip to the Midsummer Classic is contingent on Castro staying on the field, though, which is no longer a foregone conclusion given the recent mental breakdowns.
