Nationals release IF Starlin Castro as 30-game suspension comes to an end

The Nationals have released infielder Starlin Castro, tweets Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic. The move comes in conjunction with the conclusion of Castro’s 30-game suspension under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy.

The team announced at the time of the suspension that Castro would be released once that ban had been served, so this was entirely expected. He was initially placed on administrative leave back on July 16, and the league brought forth a 30-game suspension after looking into the allegations against him.

“Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Castro violated our Policy and that discipline is appropriate,” commissioner Rob Manfred said when announcing the suspension.

“We fully support the Commissioner’s decision and will be releasing Starlin Castro upon the completion of his suspension,” the Nationals said in a statement shortly thereafter, adding that the club would have no further comment on the matter.

Castro had been playing on a two-year, $12M contract signed in the 2019-20 offseason. He was limited to just 16 games by a fractured wrist in 2020 and logged 87 games in 2021 before being placed on administrative leave. In 103 games and 409 plate appearances with the Nationals, Castro logged a .280/.328/.387 line.