Here’s the statement Paul Kinzer gave to MLB.com regarding reports Starlin Castro was arrested/detained/questioned/passing by another shooting in the Dominican Republic early Saturday:

“He wasn’t involved. He wasn’t arrested or detained. He voluntarily went into the police so they could know that he wasn’t involved. They told him they knew that because there was video and he wasn’t involved and they had no problem with him. The thing is, (media reports) put out that he has been arrested for questioning. When is anyone ever arrested for questioning? He had nothing to do with it. He just happened to be at the club. He heard there was a problem and he went out the back door and left. Then he went to the police to make sure they knew he wasn’t involved.”

“His name got dragged into a shooting in Santiago a couple of weeks ago and he just happened to be there at a concert. There was a shooting in the parking lot and because somebody saw him in the parking lot, they put his name all over it. Anything that happens gets more sensationalized if they get a Starlin Castro involved.”

OK, then. Let’s take this bit by bit:

“He wasn’t involved. He wasn’t arrested or detained. He voluntarily went into the police so they could know that he wasn’t involved.”

I do that a lot, too. There was a shooting in Atlantic City last week and I stopped by to let them know I wasn’t involved. They appreciated it. A lot. Took my word for it, too.

“They told him they knew that because there was video and he wasn’t involved and they had no problem with him.”

I have no problem with this.

“The thing is, (media reports) put out that he has been arrested for questioning. When is anyone ever arrested for questioning?”

Yes, that seems to have been a mistake. Or overstatement. But I’m pretty sure you are questioned when are you are arrested.

“He had nothing to do with it.”

You already said that.

“He just happened to be at the club.”

Happens all the time.

“He heard there was a problem and he went out the back door and left.”

Several shots were fired. In a club. He “heard there was a problem”? Did someone come over and say, “Starlin, there is a problem. You should go out the back door and leave?” Seems very orderly.

“Then he went to the police to make sure they knew he wasn’t involved.”

Yeah, we got that part. Castro must be very busy stopping by police stations all over the island letting them know he wasn’t involved in various acts of malfeasance.

“His name got dragged into a shooting in Santiago a couple of weeks ago and he just happened to be there at a concert.”

Just like he “just happened to be at the club” Saturday. I have lived 44 years without being around a shooting (knock on wood). Castro has been near two in two weeks? That’s bad, bad luck.

“There was a shooting in the parking lot and because somebody saw him in the parking lot, they put his name all over it. Anything that happens gets more sensationalized if they get a Starlin Castro involved.”

Or it’s noteworthy if an All-Star second baseman is in the vicinity of a shooting – let alone two in a month. No?

Now … the one thing that is noteworthy here: Kinzer doesn’t mention the latest shooting involved Castro’s bodyguards, which he surely knows has been reported. Nor does he address the report that Castro’s house was raided by police in early morning hours.

If Castro had absolutely nothing to do with this, which I’m willing to believe, shouldn’t Kinzer shed some light on why his bodyguards were involved? Was Castro attacked? Was Castro a victim? If so, should we be worried? Are they hunting shortstops in the Dominican?

As it stands now, this statement is way too defensive – and leaves more questions than it answers.