Astros catcher Jason Castro was named on Tuesday to the East squad for the 2011 Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars Game.
The event takes place Saturday evening at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Ariz. -- the Spring Training home of the Kansas City Royals.
Castro is hitting .190 (4-for-21) with an RBI, double and four runs scored while drawing five walks in seven games for the Salt River Rafters.
The 24-year-old Castro, who was selected by Houston in the first round (10th overall) of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, continues to progress in the right direction after missing the entire 2011 campaign due to undergoing right knee surgery last March.
Although Castro isn't lighting up the box score in the Arizona Fall League, he's participating in all baseball activities and working to get back into game shape under the guidance of manager Stu Cole -- just seven months removed from major knee surgery.
Astros general manager Ed Wade told Examiner.com that Castro remains on schedule and should be ready for the 2012 season.
Wade looks forward to seeing what Castro can bring to the table.
"One of the biggest needs our club can address from within is having a healthy Jason Castro," Wade said. "There is no walking past the fact that Castro can make a big impact for us next year."
It's been a challenging road for Castro, but his resiliency and drive to get back on the field has been a strong motivational tool.
"I am cleared to do everything," Castro said. "I've been hitting and running for a while. I'm catching bullpens. I am working hard to get back into game shape behind the plate. I'm more comfortable and more confident as I continue to get in all my repetitions."
Castro admits one of the biggest obstacles for him involves retraining his mind to get back in a normal rhythm with the knee.
When an individual suffers a major injury, it's not uncommon for the mind to accept the pain and become dependent on a cast or brace.
Once the injury fully heals, it's up to the person to get back on track mentally and trust that everything will be fine moving forward.
It's a matter of repetition and settling into a routine.
"The trust is coming along," Castro said. "Some of the new stuff I am doing has been kind of tough. I have to mentally picture it before I do it. Some of the stuff has been so long since I've done it. I've had to retrain my body. Once I do it a few times, I start to trust that I'll be just fine doing it over and over."
Despite missing the entire 2011 season, Castro capitalized on the opportunity to watch the game at the major league level.
He believes gaining that type of experience will help him over the long run to evolve into a better player and asset for the Astros.
"It was the first time I have ever been able to just watch the game of baseball," Castro said. "I feel like I learned a lot from it. The game slows down. You're able to take a third-person perspective on it. You can analyze and see situations you're not involved in.
"You can take away some lessons. It's something I'm going to be able to apply toward my own game. It's going to make me a better player."
MLB Network and MLB.com will broadcast the AFL's Rising Stars Game live, with the starting time scheduled for 5:00 p.m. MT.
Bryce Harper and Mike Trout, both of whom rate as the top prospects in Major League Baseball, will join Castro on the East squad.
Matt Dominguez (West squad), Nick Franklin (West squad) and Wil Myers (West squad) are other big names scheduled to participate.
Gerrit Cole (East squad) and Danny Hultzen (West squad) will get the starting nod in what expects to be an impressive pitchers' duel.
Cole (Pittsburgh Pirates) and Hultzen (Seattle Mariners) were the top two overall selections in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft.
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