Orioles RHP Miguel Castro Claimed on Instagram He Was Robbed at Gunpoint in Dominican Republic
Baltimore Orioles RHP Miguel Castro revealed this week that he narrowly escaped a harrowing situation in is homeland. The 25-year-old pitcher revealed on Instagram that he had been robbed near his training facility in the Dominican Republic by a man with a gun.
Thankfully, Castro was uninjured in this incident, but he did comment that the gunman wanted to "take away [his] chain and they also wanted to kill [him]."
#orioles RHP Miguel Castro posted on Instagram that he was robbed at gunpoint at facility where he trains in DR. He wasn't injured. "I'm alive by the mercy of God," he wrote in Spanish. "They take away my chain and they also wanted to kill me and this has to stop now."
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) January 8, 2020
The 6-7 righty was expected be the next big thing for the Colorado Rockies when they acquired him from the Blue Jays five years ago, making his major league debut just prior to the trade at the age of 20, following a stellar minor league career.
Since being dealt to Baltimore by Colorado in 2017, Castro has been locked into a relief role with the Orioles, although his ceiling as a pitcher is still very high.
While this bright young player was certainly shaken up by his near-death experience, he is safe now, and we can only hope that he is able to recover mentally from this experience (which, as he states, is emblematic of a type of dangerous violence that is all too common in his homeland).
Statement from Castro's agency @BallengeeGroup: "Miguel is safe. He is shaken. He feels extremely blessed and fortunate to still be alive and thanks everyone for their support. He will continue to support his country and use his platform to be a role model." #orioles
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) January 8, 2020
Castro's experience is just the latest in a long line of attacks on professional baseball players in their home countries. Just this past June, Red Sox legend David Ortiz was shot at a bar in the Dominican Republic in an apparent assassination attempt. It's truly devastating that men like this have become targeted because of their status within their own countries, instead of returning as heroes.