Castillo sharp in Grapefruit debut

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Two sturdy feet, a pair of pain-free knees and a sound mind could be enough to win Luis Castillo the second-base job, if Saturday was any indication of what he might have left.

A noticeably trimmer and more nimble Castillo smacked a single to leftfield off Braves starter Jair Jurrjens in his first at-bat. He also had a decent day in the field, turning a harder-than-it-looked double play before nearly getting bowled over by Jason Heyward.

Castillo was playing Brian McCann to pull, shading far toward first base, then hustled over to take Jose Reyes' flip at the bag to edge Heyward, who rumbled in behind him.

Heyward might have smeared a less-experienced infielder. But Castillo, whose back was to him, dodged Heyward like a quarterback sensing the rush of a linebacker.

"I feel like I can't wait to get out there and play," Castillo said, "and it's been a long time since I've felt like that. Every player knows what he can do when he's feeling good, and the way I am right now, I feel like I can move again. I feel great."

Castillo, the $6-million incumbent, is locked in a three-man battle for second base with Daniel Murphy, who is learning the position, and Rule 5 pick Brad Emaus.

On paper, it should be no contest. Castillo is a three-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove winner and the owner of a World Series ring. Neither Murphy nor Emaus has played second base in the majors.

But numerous leg injuries limited Castillo's mobility in the previous two years, and his performance suffered to the point that the Mets made no promises for this season. General manager Sandy Alderson has expressed no hesitation about releasing him if he is undeserving of a spot on the club, regardless of having to swallow the salary, and Castillo took that to heart Saturday in the Mets' Grapefruit League opener at Digital Domain Park, a 5-5, 10-inning tie with Atlanta.

"I feel like I'm a rookie," Castillo said. "I have to show people I can still play. I'm going to play hard, like it's my last game, and I'm going to fight for the job. I think I can still play."

One of his biggest allies is Reyes, whose locker is adjacent to Castillo's location at the end of a row that also includes David Wright. Castillo is Reyes' closest friend on the team - the two often hang out at each other's condos in Port St. Lucie to talk over a dinner of Dominican food - and Reyes likes having the security of playing next to the Mets' longest-tenured second baseman since he's been at shortstop.

"I'm comfortable with him," Reyes said. "I'd love to see him back there again. He just needs the opportunity to prove what he can do. People have to understand, when he's healthy and he's playing every day, he puts up very good numbers for a second baseman."

Terry Collins insists publicly that second base is wide open, but the manager did give Castillo the honor of starting with the regulars for the Grapefruit opener.

Even though Collins had expressed disappointment that Castillo didn't show up early for spring training, it sounds as if he will get a fair shot at winning the job. Collins estimated that Castillo shed roughly 15 pounds during the offseason, and he was pleased with his debut Saturday.

"There's no question he's got something to prove," Collins said. "He got himself in great shape, as good as he could be in, so I'm anxious to continue watching him play this spring to see what he does."