Reds manager David Bell said that Castillo (shoulder) will be aiming to return by mid-to-late April, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

EDGE Analysis

Bell further said that Castillo will probably be limited to 3-to-4 innings when he ultimately returns. The same holds true for teammate Mike Minor. That means that for our purposes, Castillo will be difficult to activate until May.

Castillo (shoulder) will open the season on the injured list, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

EDGE Analysis

Castillo has been battling shoulder soreness this spring. Reports from last week indicated that he might have a tough time getting ready by Opening Day, and that's now been officially confirmed. He's been going through a throwing progression and is expected to return sometime in April, but he'll miss at least a turn or two in the rotation to start the year. His absence, as well as the absence of Mike Minor (shoulder), could give rookies Hunter Greene or Nick Lodolo the chance to break camp in the rotation.

Castillo (shoulder) signed a one-year, $7.35 million contract with the Reds on Tuesday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Castillo is entering his penultimate year of arbitration eligibility and was able to agree with Cincinnati on a figure for 2022. However, that's the minor news of the day, as it was reported earlier Tuesday that the right-hander is dealing with shoulder soreness and may not be ready for the start of the season. Castillo recently advanced to long toss and will need to get back on a mound before there's a firm idea of when he'll be cleared for game action.

Castillo has been slowed by shoulder soreness this spring and may miss the start of the season, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Castillo's arrival at camp was delayed slightly by a family issue, and the shoulder troubles pushed back his throwing progression even further. He's advanced to long toss and appears to be trending in the right direction, but it's likely he misses at least a start or two at the beginning of the regular season.

Reds GM Nick Krall said that Castillo will not be traded at this time, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

EDGE Analysis

Krall also said that fellow rotation-mate Tyler Mahle would not be traded. We'll see if it's just a question of whether the Reds could find the right market for Castillo, or if they truly intend to hold on to him for a while.

Castillo (personal) arrived at camp Tuesday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

EDGE Analysis

Castillo's arrival was delayed slightly by a family issue. The delay probably wasn't significant enough to meaningfully affect his preparation for the season.

Castillo will arrive to camp late due to a flight/family issue, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The report didn't say when Castillo would report. Castillo's situation could be similar to the Phillies' Ranger Suarez, who will be delayed by visa issues. With the shortened spring training, that might limit Castillo's innings early in the season if the delay is significant.

Castillo (personal) allowed a run on six hits and three walks while striking out five in 5.1 innings in a no-decision versus Pittsburgh on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

The right-hander was strong in his last start of the season, and he also recorded Cincinnati's only hit against Pittsburgh starter Wil Crowe. Castillo gave up just 10 runs (eight earned) across 30.2 innings in his last five starts this year. An ugly start to the year left his ratios a little bloated with a 3.98 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 192:75 K:BB across 187.2 innings, but he was able to finish strong. The 28-year-old is a free agent this offseason.

Castillo (personal) was activated from the family medical emergency list Thursday.

EDGE Analysis

Castillo will start Friday's game against the Pirates, and he'll rejoin the active roster a day before the matchup. The right-hander has posted quality starts in each of his last two appearances and has recorded a 1.46 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 12.1 innings during that time.

Castillo will return from the bereavement list to start Friday against Pittsburgh, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Reds will likely have little to play for at that point, as a single loss by them or a single win by the Cardinals over the final week will eliminate them from playoff contention. Castillo himself has something to play for, however, as he can drag his ERA under 4.00 if he throws at least five innings while giving up no more than one run or at least seven innings while giving up no more than two. That's not much of an achievement for a pitcher of Castillo's talent level, but it would be quite an impressive feat for a pitcher who ended May with a 7.22 ERA.