Pirates' Rodolfo Castro Suspended 1 Game, Fined for Playing with Cellphone in Pocket

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Rodolfo Castro has been suspended one game and fined an undisclosed amount for violating MLB policy when he took the field with a cellphone.

The phone slipped out of Castro's back pocket when he slid into third base during a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 9.

"I don't think there's any professional ballplayer that would ever go out there with any intentions of taking a cellphone," Castro said through an interpreter, via ESPN. "It's horrible it happened to me. Obviously, it was very unintentional."

Per The Athletic, "Castro was in violation of Major League Baseball’s regulation prohibiting electronic devices on the field or in the dugout, except for league-approved iPads."

Castro, 23, made his major league debut in April 2021.

In 27 games this season, he is hitting .239 with a .702 OPS, two home runs and five RBI.

He appealed MLB's decision, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

As noted by Mike Persak of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he can play during the appeal.

Castro had just spent two months in Triple-A before getting called back up. The cellphone incident occurred in his first game.

He's played well in his latest stint with a .381 batting average and 1.171 OPS in 22 plate appearances.