Sleep-deprived new father Ty France returns to Mariners and delivers

TORONTO — As Ty France left the visitors clubhouse of the Rogers Centre late Monday evening, he looked like a weary traveler who needed to find a bed as soon as possible before a bed or a couch or a chair or a floor found him.

There will be more of those days ahead as a first-time father.

On Saturday at 6:18 p.m., France and his wife, Maggie, welcomed their first child to the world, a healthy baby boy they named Luka Tyler.

“When we did our Europe trips a couple of offseasons ago, when we were in Croatia. I saw the name and really liked it and we both agreed on it,” he said. “We kind of had it kicked out for a little while.”

France is not a Dallas Mavericks fan and didn’t name his son after All-Star guard Luka Doncic.

“That’s the only guy I could think of with that name,” France said.  

With a limit of 72 hours for paternity leave, he didn’t get much time with his new son. He had started his leave on Friday, not traveling with the team to Milwaukee for the first series of the two-city road trip.

With a minimal number of direct flights in and out of Milwaukee, there was a concern he couldn’t make it back in time when his wife went into labor.

“It was definitely a wild experience, it went from zero to 100 real fast,” he said. “My wife, she is a champ. I don’t know how they do it. I really don’t.”

After sleeping minimally on Saturday and Sunday, France boarded a flight on Monday morning to Toronto.

“I basically didn’t sleep at all until I got on the plane here,” he said. “I got a four-hour nap and came straight here.”

For getting only airplane sleep — not the most restful way to recharge a body — France didn’t look tired when he picked up three hits off Toronto starter Jose Berrios in Monday’s 5-2 loss to the Blue Jays. Berrios allowed four total hits.

“Just coffee and it’s my job,” he said. “You really don’t have a choice. It kind of felt like I was in a daze yesterday, everything felt like it was going in slow motion. But I was able to have some good at-bats.”

France had little trouble falling asleep when he went to the Mariners’ hotel, but was admittedly a little restless, waking up a few times and worrying about his wife and new son. They were still in the hospital when he had to leave for Toronto.

“Yeah, it’s not fun considering the circumstances,” he said. “We only get 72 hours with them and especially with it being your first born. Having to leave them at the hospital sucked, but they’re home now. They’re doing well. Her family is there and they’re helping her take care of the baby and the dogs, so I’m very thankful.”

Coming into Tuesday’s game, France had a .379/.419/.414 slash line in eight games. Of his 11 hits, he had one double with an RBI.

More on Castillo’s struggles

Mariners manager Scott Servais met with Luis Castillo on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the right-hander’s recent struggles.

After giving up four runs on nine hits and taking the loss in Monday’s loss to the Blue Jays, Castillo is 0-3 with a 6.89 ERA in three start this season. In 15 2/3 innings, he’s allowed 25 hits with four walks and 18 strikeouts.

“I don’t think there’s no easy answers,” Servais said. “I think Luis’ stuff kind of matches what he’s always done. The velocities are the same, but there have been more mistakes and more in the middle of the plate. He hasn’t done a good job of finishing hitters off and I think all the elite starting pitchers in the league have that ability to dial it up with two strikes. Luis has been really good throughout his career, especially with runners in scoring position. But we’re not seeing it now.”

Servais discussed with Castillo about the mindset of putting hitters away with two strikes.

“Like all top starters in the league, there’s a certain … persona he has when he takes the mound,” Servais said. “He is the rock. And when you’re out there and you’ve got two strikes on the hitter, or it’s a key spot in the game, and you smell blood, then you go and you put down your opponent. He just hasn’t been able to do that. It’s not for lack of effort. It’s more lack of execution.”

Castillo has given up 13 hits (11 singles, two doubles) with two strikes this year in 42 at-bats (.310 batting average), including five on his sinker and three on his changeup. The average exit speed on those hits has been only 86.4 mph and the expected batting average is .217 while the batting average on balls in play is .542. Those sorts of discrepancies in those three averages speak to Castillo being a little unlucky. But a swing and miss with two strikes on a quality pitch removes the luck factor.

“There are certain areas on particular hitters we want to stay away from some guys with two strikes” Servais said. “You don’t want to go away on this guy or you don’t want to come in with this guy and we’re doing the opposite. We’re kind of throwing the wrong pitch in the wrong spot against the wrong hitter. And that’s why he’s not getting good results.”