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Houston Astros designated hitter Victor Caratini (17) celebrates after scoring against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at loanDepot Park. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Astros Move Victor Caratini to IL, Hope Bind at Catcher is Temporary

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI
By Matt Postins | Last updated Aug 28, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Normally, starting catcher Yainer Diaz being day-to-day with an injury wouldn’t be an issue with Victor Caratini as the back-up.

Well, it became a significant problem the Houston Astros hope will be a short-term one. Caratini was moved to the 7-day concussion IL on Wednesday after he took a foul ball off the mask during the ninth inning of Tuesday's 6-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies. It was the second time in three days he was hit on the mask by a foul ball.

He was playing because Diaz suffered a left wrist after he was hit by an errant pitch from reliever Craig Kimbrel in Baltimore on Sunday. That left the Astros without a catcher, so they promoted César Salazar from Triple-A Sugar Land so he could start on Wednesday.

The Athletic on X (formerly Twitter) reported that Diaz needed an “extra day or two” before he could return. Houston wraps up its series with the Rockies on Thursday. It’s a day game, so the possibility exists that Salazar could catch a day game after a night game. Either way, Salazar is going to be with the Astros for a bit.

Assessing Diaz and Caratini’s Seasons

James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

Diaz is having another rock-solid season, his second as the Astros’ primary catcher. In 116 games the 26-year-old Dominican Republic native is slashing .257/.288/.419 with a .707 OPS, with 18 home runs and 55 RBI. He is on pace to reach 20 home runs and 60 RBI for the second straight season. For his career, he has 57 home runs and 200 RBI since his MLB debut in 2022 as the back-up to Martin Maldonado.

Houston signed Caratini to back up Diaz after the Astros parted ways with Maldonado after the 2023 season. He has provided a solid bat for Houston in two seasons. This year, in 95 games, he has slashed .262/.317/.416 with a .733 OPS, with 11 home runs and 43 RBI. This is the first time he’s hit double-digit home runs since he slammed 11 with the Chicago Cubs in 2019.

The 32-year-old Puerto Rico native made his MLB debut in 2017 with the Cubs, and he’s played with the San Diego Padres and the Milwaukee Brewers. He has 57 career home runs and 244 RBI with a slash of .244/.320/.372 with a .692 OPS.

César Salazar’s Astros Career

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Salazar has been up-and-down with the Astros since he made his Major League debut in 2023. He’s been used when Houston has had injuries behind the plate. He’s played in nine games this year with a .125/.222/.125 slash with no home runs and no RBI. In 34 career games he has slashed .216/.288/.255 with no home runs and eight RBI.

Salazar was the Astros’ seventh-round pick in 2018 out of Arizona. He steadily progressed through the system but has primarily played at Sugar Land the past three seasons. He figures to be Diaz’s backup when the fourth-year catcher is ready to return.

This article first appeared on Houston Astros on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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