CLEVELAND — Willi Castro said it feels good to etch his name into the Twins’ history books.

Good? Really? More like painful.

When Castro was hit by a pitch from the Guardians Tanner Bibee in the fifth inning on Wednesday night, it marked his 20th hit by pitch this season, a new franchise record, surpassing Chuck Knoblauch, who was hit 19 times in 1996.

“It’s going to be there for the rest of my life,” Castro said. “It feels good. If they keep hitting me, that’s my game, to get on base.”

The Twins even posted a graphic on social media to commemorate the occasion — one that quickly needed to be updated as Castro was plunked again in the 10th inning by Hunter Gaddis. Castro entered Thursday’s play tied with Randy Arozarena for the most hit-by-pitches in the major leagues this season at 21.

The new record is not just a painful coincidence.

“I know they have reports to throw me hard in. Everything back foot, back foot sliders, so that’s why they hit me a lot,” Castro said. “And I like to be on top of the plate. … I don’t mind, as long as they don’t hit me in my head. All good.”

The worst of it, he said, came in June in Pittsburgh when he was hit four times in back-to-back games, a bruising weekend for the utilityman.

Though Castro now holds the Twins’ record, he’s nowhere near the major league record. In the modern era, that belongs to Ron Hunt, who was hit by 50 pitches during the 1971 season.

“As long as he’s still on the field, it’s not a terrible record,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It’s a painful record, but it’s something that’s actually helping our team. He’s finding his way on base an extra 20 times over the course of a season. That’s pretty incredible. Now, is he going to like this all the time? No, ’cause it kind of sucks sometimes getting smoked over and over again.”

Correa plays back to back

Carlos Correa served as the Twins’ designated hitter on Thursday, marking the first time he had played in consecutive games since landing on the injured list in July.

It was another important step for the shortstop, who missed nearly all of the second half of the season dealing with plantar fasciitis in his right heel. Though he’s still not 100%, Correa has reported feeling much better, and he’s had an immediate impact on the field since his return.

On Wednesday, he drove in all four of the Twins’ runs in a 5-4 loss to the Guardians. On Thursday, he went 0 for 3 in the Twins’ 3-2 10-inning loss, reaching base twice on walks.

Briefly

The Twins have listed David Festa, Pablo López and Zebby Matthews as their starters for their upcoming series in Boston.  … The Twins did not go ahead with their rookie dress-up, which was to take place on the flight to Boston, as planned, a collective decision made on the heels of another heartbreaking loss in Cleveland.

Related Articles

Twins walked off by Guardians, now tied in Wild Card race

Twins drop another heartbreaker, walked off by Guardians

Change in stance helps Twins infielder Kyle Farmer turn season around

Twins win tense, important game against Guardians

Twins option Jorge Alcala, who had been among top relievers earlier in season