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PITTSBURGH -- Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum has seen enough -- at least when a left-hander is opposing his team. He might be ready to make some changes after back-to-back losses against southpaws dropping the Cubs record against left-handers to 4-10 this season.

"I'll tell you the truth, I'm thinking about it now," Sveum said Thursday morning before the series finale with the Pittsburgh Pirates. "Just to see what happens. It's kind of gotten to the point."

The only question might be what took so long? The Cubs have been abysmal all season against lefties.

Sveum has made a habit of sitting David DeJesus, Nate Schierholtz and Luis Valbuena against lefties but with little success. Schierholtz's replacement, Scott Hairston, is hitting .089 against left-handed pitching and between Dave Sappelt -- now in the minors -- and Julio Borbon, center fielders not named DeJesus have a .212 average. It's not nearly good enough against some good left-handed pitching.

"These guys are the top of the line," Sveum said of Wandy Rodriguez, Francisco Liriano and others. "That's how good left-handed pitching is in all of baseball now. There's some quality, quality left-handed starters that are pitching and doing well against a lot of people."

So what can Sveum do? Dipping down to the minors for a right-handed bat doesn't seem like an option.

"We had Sappelt, that didn't work out too well," Sveum said.

It means other lefty hitters -- besides Borbon -- should see playing time against lefty pitchers. DeJesus, Schierholtz and particularly Ryan Sweeney have had much better at-bats -- and in some cases better success -- than their replacements.

And then there are the everyday players, against lefties or righties. The biggest disappointment has to be the right-handed Starlin Castro. He struck out with the bases loaded and one out against Liriano in Wednesday's 1-0 loss to the Pirates.

"I hit the same, stay aggressive, whoever is pitching," Castro said. "He threw nasty pitches. I never change my approach."

Castro is hitting just .217 against left-handed pitching and his slugging percentage is just .283. No matter who Sveum puts out there the main guys need better at-bats against the southpaws in the league.

"The bottom line is our core players have to do the job too," Sveum said.

A new lineup against lefties will have to wait until next week as the Cubs aren't scheduled to see one until then.

PITTSBURGH -- Is there anything the Chicago Cubs' starting staff can’t do? Along with compiling a sparkling 3.42 ERA through nearly two months of the season, they’re getting it done at the plate.

Cubs pitchers are No. 1 in the National League in slugging (.307) and OPS (.496) and rank fourth in batting (.177) and third in on-base percentage (.189). And they’re doing things in May that haven’t happened in a long time.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, their eight extra-base hits and 13 runs batted in through Wednesday are the most in any one month since, get this, the Cubs in September 1971, when they knocked in 14 and had 10 extra-base hits. There’s a good chance that record will be broken before June comes around.

“You’re always surprised when these guys are able to hit, but you forget they work hard at it and they’re good athletes along with it,” closer Kevin Gregg said Wednesday about his pitching teammates.

Second baseman Darwin Barney agreed.

“It’s fun to watch them help their cause,” he said. “They get excited about it. It’s everyone’s dream to be a pitcher and hit. [Pitchers are] expected to get out, so you can go up there hacking.”

To put their month at the plate in further perspective, 19 pitchers in the National League have at least two runs batted in, and the Cubs employ five of them, according to data compiled by ESPN Stats & Information. Their OPS for May is a whopping .947; next are the Los Angeles Dodgers hurlers at .500. Cubs pitchers have nine more RBIs than the San Francisco Giants pitchers, who rank second this month.

“I was joking around the other day: We should just let them hit the whole game for themselves,” outfielder Ryan Sweeney said.

Players were shaking their heads in the clubhouse Wednesday after seeing Matt Garza hit a two-run double the night before -- in his first at-bat in 10 months.

“I couldn’t fall behind,” Garza joked. “These other five guys, man ... it was a lot of time in the cage. Just want to be a complete player.”

So the question arose, who’s the best hitting pitcher on the team?

“[Jeff] Samardzija is fun to watch, because he’s got power and what kind of athlete he is,” Gregg said. “I expect a lot out of him. He actually is thinking about it as he goes up there and how he’s going to approach it.”

Several players concurred about Samardzija, but not all.

“That’s a tough question because [Travis] Wood is swinging the back good and [Scott] Feldman, too,” catcher Welington Castillo said.

For the record, after Garza’s 1-for-2 night, it is Wood whose batting average (.263) is the most respectable. But Feldman’s four RBIs lead all pitchers.

Still, it’s Wood who got the most votes.

“He’s the best hitting pitcher,” manager Dale Sveum said. “He’s the most consistent, always has been.”

What do the pitchers say? Not much. They don’t want to jinx it. Even when pushed, they were noncommittal.

“I would say either Samardzija, Edwin Jackson or Woody,” Feldman said.

“I don’t know. It might be a coin toss,” Jackson added.

Maybe the best authority on the subject is hitting coach James Rowson. He’s had a front-row seat for all the raking.

“Right now, take your pick,” Rowson said, laughing. “They’re fun to watch right now.

“In all honesty, probably Travis Wood. He’s a hitter that pitches.”

It might not be straight jealousy, but the position players are starting to envy the pitchers, who don’t mind hearing it from their teammates. It means they’re impressing guys who hit for a living.

“They’re yelling at us, saying, ‘It’s that easy, huh?’” Jackson said. “It’s not like we’re getting pointless hits, either. We’re getting big hits.”

Maybe Barney summed it up best. You don’t want to be shown up by a pitcher at the plate. He should know; they hit right behind him in the order.

“It’s kind of funny when you’re hitting eighth and they’re hitting behind you and you’re struggling,” Barney said, laughing. “Sometimes it’s like, maybe I should bunt guys over for them.”

CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs pitcher Matt Garza has declared himself ready for a return to the Cubs rotation, but manager Dale Sveum isn't ready to declare him back just yet.

Garza, who is recovering from a lat injury, needed 75 pitches to get through six shutout innings for Triple-A Iowa on Thursday night, striking out six and walking none. He retired 13 of the last 14 batters he faced.

"We'll see how he does when he comes in," Sveum said Friday. "Then we'll talk about it (Saturday) morning after his side and see where we are."

Garza told the Des Moines Register he's ready for the big leagues.

"I don't need another one here," Garza said Thursday. "They might differ on opinion, but I think all in all, it comes down to what I want and the way I feel. The organization -- they're going to make the call at the end of the day but I think we're going to collaborate and come to some sort of compromise."

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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs and starter Carlos Villanueva were blown out at Wrigley Field by the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday. One of the only bright spots for Chicago was Darwin Barney’s slump-breaking, three-hit performance. Barney, who began the season on the disabled list, never regained his spring-training form. He suffered a severely cut kneecap in the team’s last exhibition game in late March and spent two weeks without baseball activity.

The National League Gold Glove winner at second base in 2012 had a plan to make himself a more productive offensive player in 2013. During the offseason, Barney added 10 pounds of muscle to his frame and developed a new plan with Cubs manager Dale Sveum and the hitting coaches in a minicamp session in late November. The hope was that the aggressive infielder would work deeper counts and drive the ball to the gaps in left and right-center fields. With Barney hitting .159 coming into Tuesday night’s game, he and his coaches have decided to modify the plan of attack: “I think more aggressiveness and not worrying about hitting the ball to right field every time he is up to bat is going to pay off," Sveum said. “I think his whole attitude and just the way he feels at the plate doing that is going to benefit him.

Barney, one of the young leaders on the Cubs, has never really felt comfortable at the plate since sitting out with the torn kneecap.

"It was a combination of trying to be somebody you aren’t," Sveum said. “He has pull-side ability of driving the ball [to left] and really numb to the right side. He just had to start hitting the ball hard and not trying to jam it into right field. He does not have the strength to hit over the center fielder's or right fielder's head.”

Barney has been searching to find himself at the plate while maintaining a perfect fielding record through 25 games. “When I came back, I was a little bit defensive at the plate," he said after the Cubs' 9-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies. “I was letting the ball get too deep. It wasn’t an accident. I came in with the plan to let the ball get deep. I was trying to get my hips to move that way [to right field]."

Barney has taken a one-day-at-a-time approach to his hitting for now. Even a three-hit game is not conclusive evidence that he is back to form.

“When you have been going through a spell like I have been going through, sometimes it [the three-hit game] doesn’t really make a difference," he said. “It has been a struggle for me, but you try to keep up your work and help the team anyway that you can.”

Barney’s three hits included his second home run of the season. Ten of Barney’s 11 career home runs have come at Wrigley Field.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Villanueva sounds like a man who knows his fate. With teammate Matt Garza returning from an injury soon, Villanueva is a candidate for the bullpen.

With the decision looming, he’s trending the wrong way after losing for the third time in four starts on Tuesday. He surrendered seven runs and 12 hits in five innings in a 9-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies.

“I know we’ll be a stronger team when he [Garza] comes back,” Villanueva said after the game. “A night like tonight didn’t help my cause.”

He had very little command of any of his pitches, as there were no cheap hits. Villanueva shouldn’t feel too bad, though; he had a great month of April as a starter after originally being signed to pitch in long relief. Before the game, manager Dale Sveum said Tuesday wasn’t any “tryout,” and he reiterated it afterward as well, but Villanueva sees the writing on the wall.

“You would be lying if you said stuff doesn’t cross your mind when it comes up, but, like I said, we’re professionals,” he stated. “It’s hard to play that way [thinking of your job], hard to pitch, hard to play defense.”

On the bright side, his move to the pen -- if it happens -- will strengthen a weak unit. More importantly, Villanueva has to find his game again. He’s given up three or more runs in his past four starts after dominating opponents in his first four. Tuesday was his worst start of the season, ballooning his ERA to 3.93.

“Chalk it up to a bad day at the office,” Villanueva said. “When the good ones get hit, obviously the bad ones get hit even harder.”

CHICAGO -- Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Cubs' 9-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday:

How it happened: Cubs starter Carlos Villanueva got hit early and often, giving up 12 hits in his five innings of work. The Rockies scored in each of the first three innings and then added two more in the fifth and two more in the ninth. The big blows came from Eric Young Jr., who hit a mammoth home run to center field in the second. Then, Carlos Gonzalez hit one out to right in the third and ninth innings. Villanueva also gave up five doubles. The Cubs got on the board with a Darwin Barney solo shot in the fifth and added two more in the eighth after back-to-back errors by Colorado.

What it means: The rough start could not have come at a worse time for Villanueva. With Matt Garza very close to returning from an injury, one starter has to go to the bullpen despite manager Dale Sveum vaguely intimating before the game he might use six starters for the time being. Tuesday didn’t help Villanueva’s cause, as he was hit hard from the outset, and he’s been trending backward after a great first month on the mound.

Key stat: Gonzalez went 5-5 for Colorado with two home runs and three RBIs.

What’s next: The teams play the rubber game of the series Wednesday night with Jeff Samardzija opposing Jon Garland.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum left the door open for a six-man rotation when injured pitcher Matt Garza returns from a lat injury he suffered early in spring training.

"We haven't looked at it deeply but it could happen," Sveum said before the Cubs took on the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.

Garza will make a rehab start for Triple-A Iowa on Thursday and then a determination will be made if he's ready to be activated.

"I'm not looking forward to anything past Thursday," Garza said.

If Garza can get into or beyond the sixth inning without his pitch count being too bloated he might be ready to return to the rotation and that's when Sveum will have to make a decision. A six-man rotation is far from a given.

"It's a tough decision because everyone has pitched pretty well and it's going to be one of those things, it's going to be unfortunate for somebody," Sveum said. "Maybe you go to a six-man rotation for a week just because of matchups. You never know. A lot of things come into play."

Sveum was asked if current performances by starters, such as Carlos Villanueva on Tuesday, will help determine who's in and who's out.

"It's not a tryout camp," he said. "We'll cross that bridge after he pitches on Thursday."

CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs outfielder David DeJesus will get his first start against a left-handed pitcher this season Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies.

DeJesus is hitting .267 off Rockies starter Jeff Francis and .417 when leading off a game this season.

"I've faced Jeff a couple times in my career so I have some experience off him," DeJesus said before batting practice on Tuesday. "I'm not changing anything and I'll just try and do my best."

The Cubs are shooting for their first four-game winning streak of the season and the first three have come in solid fashion. They beat Washington Nationals stars Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzlaez over the weekend then took down the 20-18 Rockies 9-1 in the opener of this series on Monday.

But manager Dale Sveum isn't concerned with who they beat just how they did it. The weekend games were tight victories.

"More importantly it's winning those kinds of games," he said. "Those are the games we all know that we've lost. The same way they (Washington) lost the two games to us as well."

And then came Monday's offensive barrage which included six doubles. The Cubs scored early to take the "weight off my shoulders" as starter Travis Wood put it. Then they put the game away with four runs in the final couple of at-bats. It's a departure from their offensive pattern of this year in which driving in insurance runs eluded them.

"The only thing bad about our offense is that we're hitting .209 with men in scoring position," Sveum said. "Other than that I think our OPS is top-five in the National League."

Actually the Cubs rank seventh in OPS but fourth in slugging. Either way, maybe the bats are coming alive while Sveum believes hitting with men in scoring position is cyclical and the Cubs haven't had their turn yet.

"At least we're out of the hundreds; we're climbing towards .210 now," Sveum half-joked. "Like I said before, that stat is a cycle for a lot of teams."

CHICAGO -- While the Chicago Cubs are locking up their young players they might as well sign up pitcher Travis Wood, too.

If it was up to manager Dale Sveum, Wood might be next to get a long-term deal after lowering his ERA to 2.03 in a 9-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday. He was fantastic.

“As far as I’m concerned he’s put himself there,” Sveum said after the two-hit gem by Wood. “What he’s done since spring training of last year is pretty impressive.”

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WASHINGTON -- Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum was worried about how his team was going to score runs after Washington Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg cruised through the opening four innings of Saturday's game, retiring 11 of the first 12 batters he faced with seven strikeouts.

The Cubs, however, remained patient, and a throwing error by Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman appeared to rattle Strasburg and opened the door for a four-run fifth inning. The rally ended Strasbug's night, and Chicago scored four more runs off the Nationals bullpen, which entered the game with a 1.93 ERA, en route to an 8-2 victory.

"I can't lie to you," Sveum said. "[Strasburg] was throwing his breaking ball for a strike, and I didn't see anything under 96 [mph]. He was cruising, too. When he has that breaking ball, throwing strike after strike, you're in a lot of trouble."

Because of the error, Strasburg did not allow an earned run. Nonetheless, the Cubs were happy to chase him after the fifth, when they sent nine batters to the plate. One day after hitting seven doubles but managing just three runs, the Cubs hit six more doubles Saturday. And this time, they were more productive in getting runners across the plate. Chicago was 6-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

"We capitalized on their big mistake there -- the error," first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, said. "It was a contagious inning. We kept the line moving and did not try to do too much."

Pitcher Edwin Jackson got the fifth-inning rally going with a two-run double. Rizzo had another two-run single later that inning. The Cubs managed 12 hits, including six doubles, and did not commit an error for the first time in eight games.

"It was a very well-played game," Sveum said. "There were some really solid at-bats the whole game."

WASHINGTON -- Chicago Cubs starter Edwin Jackson joked with former Washington Nationals teammate Stephen Strasburg prior to their weekend series, saying he was going to be "ready for the gas," otherwise known as Strasburg's fastball, which reaches almost 100 miles per hour.

In the fifth inning, Jackson lived up to his prediction by lining a two-run double off Strasburg on a 3-2 count to right-center field that broke open a scoreless game. That hit was the catalyst for the Cubs' offense, which scored twice more that inning before cruising to an 8-2 victory.

"I was just looking for something I could hit hard," Jackson said. "He throwing 95, 96, 97 and I'd been missing all game, so I just tried to relax and find something to make contact with."

Jackson was equally effective on the mound, picking up his first victory of the season after starting 0-5. The right-hander allowed two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks over 5 1/3 innings.

"It was nice to finally get that monkey off my back, to come out and help contribute to my team," Jackson said. "It was just a good team effort today. We played a good game of baseball today."

Cubs manager Dale Sveum liked the way Jackson was aggressive pitching inside to hitters. However, he was equally impressed with Jackson's performance at the plate.

"He came up with a huge hit," Sveum said. "That was probably the difference in the whole ballgame. If Strasburg punches him out there, it's a whole different ballgame."

The Cubs will try to win the three-game series Sunday when righty Scott Feldman (3-3, 2.70 ERA) faces Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez (3-3, 2.70 ERA).

WASHINGTON -- Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo said the club simply has taken better advantage of its opportunities against the Washington Nationals pitching staff, which is among the best in the majors.

The Cubs hit seven doubles Friday night in the series opener yet managed just three runs, finishing 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Rizzo, who is tied for the National League with 19 extra-base hits, said the team did not do any extra film work prior to the series and has focused on being patient and getting more effective at-bats.

"Hit the ball hard, soft, whatever you can do to get on base," Rizzo said. "We hit seven doubles, but we didn't get the runs in that we should of. Against a team like Washington, we need to get those runs in."

On Friday, Nationals starter Ross Detwiler (2-3, 2.53 ERA) picked up the win by allowing just two runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and no walks. The Cubs face an even more daunting task Saturday against Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg.

Strasburg is just 1-4 with 3.45 ERA this season, but those numbers are a bit deceiving because the Nationals have scored only 14 runs in his past seven starts. Rizzo said it was important to treat Strasburg like any other pitcher despite his pedigree.

"I've seen him quite a few times on TV," Rizzo said. "Big-name, high-profile pitcher. He's someone, in my opinion, that you go in and treat him like another right-hander and not get too hyped on his name and what he's done."

Cubs manager Dale Sveum said his team is just going through a tough cycle by not performing with runners in scoring position. He said slumps can be contagious -- and, like Rizzo contends -- the key is patience.

"It's hard to score three runs on seven doubles," Sveum said.

Garza remains on schedule: Matt Garza, who is recovering from a strained lat muscle, is scheduled to pitch Saturday for Double-A affiliate Tennessee and will be limited to 60-65 pitches, according to Sveum.

Sveum was hopeful that limited pitch count would give Garza at least five innings of work. Garza made his second minor league rehab start Monday for Triple-A Des Moines and threw 54 pitches in four innings.

Sveum said there are no plans for Garza to return to the major league club after Saturday's outing.

"He has at least one more [rehab start]," Sveum said.

If all goes well, Garza could be back in the rotation for the May 21-23 series against the Pirates. However, Sveum added that Edwin Jackson, who entered the game 0-5 with a 6.39 ERA, will not be moved to the bullpen when Garza returns.

Trying to cut down on the errors: The Cubs have struggled defensively and lead the major leagues with 30 errors so far this season.

In Friday night's series opener against the Nationals, starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija committed a fielding error that led to two runs in an eventual 7-3 loss. The Cubs' 30 errors have also led to 19 unearned runs, tied with Houston for the most in the majors.

"Half of our errors are from our pitchers," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "It's incredibly strange. Between the errors by pitchers, second in [the] National League in walks and hit batters, that just adds up to too many people on base. The bottom line, I've been saying, is when we make that mistake, we can't seem to make a pitch after that."

The defensive lapses have been especially problematic over the past week during which the Cubs have committed at least one error in a season-high seven consecutive games -- the most since 2011.

"We have really good athletes on the mound, so hopefully it's over with and that's the last we're gonna see of it," Sveum said.

Changes to the lineup: Sveum made some tweaks to the lineup for Saturday's game against Strasburg.

Center fielder David DeJesus was back to his normal leadoff spot against righties in place of Starlin Castro. On Friday, Sveum said Castro will be the primary leadoff hitter against lefties.

Also, Luis Valbuena started at third and batted sixth in place of Cody Ransom, who went 1-for-3 the previous night against Detwiler. DeJesus also started in center field instead of Ryan Sweeney, who went 2-for-3 on Friday night.

CHICAGO -- Kevin Gregg was declared the Chicago Cubs closer after his performance versus the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night, when he earned his fifth save in as many chances.

"Gregg is our closer," manager Dale Sveum said before Wednesday's game. "That's pretty much the way it is right now. He's obviously earned it. And now there is a bigger sample out there to know that."

Gregg took it in stride.

""It sounds good to me, but you have to stay even-keeled on everything," he said. "It is exciting. That is what you play the game for. Closing is a position I enjoy being in. I look forward to it."

Gregg lost the closer's role the last time he was with the Cubs, so he understands the circumstances of the position.

"Hey, that happened, but what good does it do to complain is the way I look at it," he said. "This game is a business. You're a product on the field, so if you underperform you will be treated accordingly. I play it game to game and take it from there."

"I am more experienced, learning as I get older. You start to realize it is not about throwing hard anymore. It is about pitching and locating a ball and keeping the defense involved from pitch to pitch."

Previously, Sveum said he would use a closer-by-committee strategy, but it became apparent Gregg was the man after he earned saves in four consecutive games in late April. Gregg was picked up off waivers from the Dodgers early in the season.

"It was a great pickup and obviously he has run with it," Sveum said. "He's a veteran guy that doesn't panic. As I've said before, those last three outs aren't made for everybody."

Gregg has yet to give up a run this year, and his last four saves have come in 1-2-3 fashion. That's a far cry from early in the season when Carlos Marmol and Kyuji Fujikawa struggled in the closer role. Fujikawa is due back from a forearm injury this weekend when the Cubs play in Washington, but he won't resume any closer duties.

"We'll probably get him in and get him acclimated out there and see how he's doing on the mound in a big league atmosphere," Sveum said.

Marmol pitched in the seventh and eighth inning on Tuesday night, preserving a one-run lead before Gregg finished the game.

"Maybe he isn't the closer right now, but he is a good pitcher," Gregg said. "We saw it last night in a one-run game. He was able to buckle down and get through an important part of their lineup. I think he has a lot of good pitches in him and he is a good competitor."

Bruce Levine contributed to this story.

CHICAGO -- Even Chicago Cubs pitcher Travis Wood was stunned when he heard what manager Dale Sveum said about him after Wood threw another gem in helping to beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 2-1, on Tuesday night.

"He's the best starter in baseball pretty much," Sveum said bluntly.

That might be overstating the case, but with a 2.33 ERA for the season and 6⅔ innings of one-run ball Tuesday, Sveum might not be too far off the mark. After all, opponents are hitting just .179 against him, good for fourth-lowest in the National League. Needless to say, Wood's confidence is going in the right direction after picking up his third win of the season.

"It's as high as it can be right now," Wood said. "Got to stay humble though."

Wood is transforming himself into a consistent starter, and at 26 years old there is no reason not to believe he's entering the Cubs' long-range plans. There won't be any flipping him for prospects, unless the front office somehow doesn't believe in what they're seeing.

"He's got it, he's figured it out," Sveum said. "He can do just about anything he wants with a ball right now."

Catcher Welington Castillo added: "He's way different than last year. Up and away. Down and in, down and away. He's been great."

His movement and placement of pitches kept the Cardinals off-balance all night. According to data compiled by ESPN Stats & Information, St. Louis was 0-for-10 with six strikeouts in at-bats ending with a pitch outside the strike zone. More than half of his cutters (24 of 41) were outside the zone and he was particularly effective throwing inside to the Cardinals, who were 0-for-12 on at-bats that ended with pitches on the inner third.

"Being able to throw the four-seamer inside and then cut it off that," Wood explained. "That way they couldn't sit there and try to dive on anything away."

Wood has yet to go less than six innings this season, and on Tuesday Sveum let him throw 114 pitches, knowing he would have an extra day off between starts.

"I'm hoping I can stay with it as long as possible," Wood said.

And what about that bold statement from Sveum? That Wood is perhaps the best pitcher in the game right now? When informed of those comments, Wood was at a loss for words.

"That would ... It's a strong statement but you know..." he said.

Yeah, we're starting to know.

CHICAGO -- Everyone is aware of Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro’s natural talents, but as he celebrates his third anniversary of being called up to the major leagues on Tuesday, manager Dale Sveum is far from calling him a finished product.

Sveum was asked if Castro is making progress this season.

“There’s progress since the day he got here,” the manager responded. “It’s still a work in progress as far as the mental things that go on at shortstop. If he wants to get to another level swinging the bat, there’s still a lot of improvement that can happen there. To get the OPS higher. It comes and goes with him.”

That’s hardly a ringing endorsement, but it’s only because Castro has the talent to be great. Yet the progress towards that has been slow. He’s hitting .277 this season with an on-base percentage of just .303. He has five walks in 142 plate appearances going into Tuesday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals to go along with three home runs and 15 runs batted in.
“He has to take more advantage of the hittable fastballs,” Sveum said."It's timing. He has to take advantage of those fastballs."

Castro continues to just miss on being great at the plate. He’ll foul off a mistake pitch instead of taking it deep or he’ll fly out deep to the warning track in right -- showing his ability to go the other way -- yet just miss hitting the ball out. But he’ll still get his hits because his hand/eye coordination is that good. Of course, a few more walks wouldn't hurt, either. All the great ones take their free passes.

And in the field Sveum says he has seen improvement this season. Castro started out shaky but has played solid at short as of late, coming up with both the routine and spectacular plays.

“He’s learning how to cut ground on balls and the body control plays,” Sveum said. “Understanding who’s running. I think he’s improved on those things this year.”

But it’s been by trial and error with Castro. He booted a ball early in the season simply because he did not recognize the pitcher was running and he rushed himself. Those plays are happening less, as Sveum mentioned, but on his three-year anniversary, the learning needs to morph into producing.

Since May 7, 2010, when he made his fantastic debut with a home run in his first at-bat and earned six RBIs against the Cincinnati Reds, Castro has played in more games than any other player in the National League. He’s getting the reps in the field and the plate appearances he needs to get better -- and he’s already made two All-Star teams -- but true greatness still awaits him.

“There’s still quite a bit of improvement that can happen on both ends of it,” Sveum said.