Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Pirates third baseman Jose Bautista will get the starting nod over Jose Castillo. Click photo for larger image. Related article Reliever Kolb trying to stick with Pirates and regain past success

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Jose Castillo isn't injured, but his status seems day-to-day anyway.

Yesterday, before the Pirates beat the New York Yankees, 3-2, manager Jim Tracy announced that Jose Bautista will be the team's regular third baseman, which leaves Freddy Sanchez at second base.

Tracy also said Jose Castillo, last year's regular at second base, "as of today" will be a utility player for the Pirates.

So the Pirates are confident that Castillo, who has never been a part-time player, can be a productive role guy?

"As you go into a season, nothing is 100 percent certain," Tracy said. "There are always questions."

So maybe Castillo's situation will change.

"We're still looking at our bench and today Jose Castillo is part of that bench -- today," Tracy said, emphasizing the word each time. "Today he is. You're hopeful he ends up being there. We have [a week] to go. We're going to see how different things take place and how he responds."

So there's a possibility he won't be on the bench opening day?

"This is my answer: Today he's on our club as a reserve utility player in the infield," Tracy said firmly. "No other commitment beyond that."

So what does that mean?

Well, the Pirates have to wait to see if Sanchez, out with a sprained right knee, is ready for opening day. If he isn't, Castillo could play second base.

Another option?

They could be trying to trade Castillo. Or maybe they're just waiting to see when Sanchez is healthy and then they'll send Castillo to Class AAA Indianapolis so he can get his act together.

In 2005, Castillo played like a budding superstar at second base.

In 2006, he played like a future Class AAA player.

Bautista and Castillo had similar statistics last season, but Tracy rates Bautista ahead of Castillo in the all-important "plate discipline" category.

Bautista has "a consistent approach on a day-in, day-out basis, and that's the difference," he said.

Tracy said he talked to Castillo yesterday for "quite a while" in explaining his decision. And Tracy believes Castillo is capable of returning to his 2005 form, but. . .

"Plate discipline and being in tune with the game on every pitch are very, very important for this player," Tracy said. "I've seen little tiny spurts of that -- off and on. I've not seen it on any kind of a consistent basis.

"I think he's capable of it. I've told him so. I think [his] understanding has to be that with where we're trying to head as a ballclub that has to be very, very important. Day in, day out -- not once in a while.

"We want these players with the Pittsburgh Pirates to realize that mediocrity is not what we're striving for here. We're not looking for that. We want a lot more than that here."

Tracy conceded he has sent this message to Castillo before.

"It's been sent a few times," Tracy said. "Sometimes it takes longer -- so you keep sending it. And sometimes you have to change the message a little bit -- to make sure the person you're talking to hears it loud and clear and realizes there's a serious intonation to what's being said."

Castillo might not have totally gotten the message yesterday.

In the fourth inning with the bases loaded and one out, he chased an 0-1 pitch low and away for a swinging strike. On the next pitch -- a high fastball out of the strike zone -- he struck out.

"I'm 100 percent ready for anything," Castillo said after the game when asked his reaction to being named a utility player. "I came in here for spring training ready for anything -- playing every day or playing some of the time."

As for Sanchez, he didn't play yesterday and won't play today, either, Tracy said.

"He hasn't run the bases yet," Tracy said. "And until Freddy feels totally confident in going out and running the bases, we can't play him. When he does that and checks out OK, then we'll get him in a game."

NOTES -- Zach Duke, the Pirates' opening-day starter, yesterday pitched six innings against Norfolk, Baltimore's Class AAA affiliate, at the Pirates' minor league complex. He allowed six hits, no walks and two runs. He threw 81 pitches. "It's game time," he said. ... Center fielder Chris Duffy was scratched from original lineup yesterday because of a stiff neck. ... Ronny Paulino, who's 19 for 37 this spring, drove in the Pirates' first run against the Yankees with a single through the middle in the fifth inning. Humberto Cota's two-run double in the seventh broke a 1-1 tie. ... The Houston Astros plan to start right-handers Roy Oswalt, Jason Jennings and Woody Williams in the three-game, season-opening series against the Pirates.