With Derrek Lee tending to family matters and on the bereavement list, and Geovany Soto on the DL with shoulder trouble, Micah Hoffpauir and rookie Welington (correct with one “L”) Castillo have been recalled from Triple-A Iowa for tonight’s game. Here’s how they have been doing, via Paul Sullivan of the Tribune:
Hoffpauir had a poor start at Iowa, but is now up to .273 with 32 doubles, 20 home runs and 87 RBI. He also has a personal 18-game hitting streak, the longest in the Pacific Coast League.
But Hoffpauir is 30, and hasn’t been considered a “prospect” for quite some time. He has played first and the corner outfield spots at Iowa since 2005, with a cameo appearance in ’04.
Castillo, 23, was signed out of the Dominican Republic in December 2004, and came into 2010 with a career minor league average of .266 with 27 home runs and 39 RBI in 95 games. This year, he’s hit .251 at Iowa with 13 home runs and 57 RBI. Castillo has a strong arm and occasional power, and could get a chance to gain a foothold on the back-up job in 2011.