10/3 Cubs Ironman

Starlin Castro today will become the first player in Cubs history to play at shortstop in all 162 games in a season. The previous single-season mark was 160 games, set by Ivan DeJesus in both 1978 and 1979. This also will be Castro’s 161st start at shortstop, which is a franchise record. DeJesus (1978) and Don Kessinger (1968) shared the previous mark of 158 starts at shortstop in a season.

Castro will become the first Cubs infielder to appear in all 162 games in a season since Hall of Famer Ron Santo did so in 1968.

Only three players in the big leagues have played 162 games at shortstop during the last 10 seasons: Baltimore’s Miguel Tejada (2003 and 2004), Montreal’s Orlando Cabrera (2003) and Philadelphia’s Jimmy Rollins (2007).

With Wednesday’s game, Elias Sports Bureau says Castro will have played in 195-consecutive games, the longest active streak in the National League and the second-longest active run in all of baseball trailing only Detroit’s Prince Fielder (342 entering today).

– Carrie Muskat