Astros release former All-Star catcher

Omar Narvaez’s season with the Houston Astros is over before it even really started.

The Astros have reportedly released the former All-Star catcher from his minor league contract. Narvaez played in 27 games for the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys, batting .258 with a home run, 11 RBIs, and an OPS of .735 across 117 plate appearances.

Houston has used a platoon of Yainer Diaz and Victor Caratini at the catcher spot this season. The team carried a third catcher, Cesar Salazar, on the main roster for nearly three months before Salazar was sent to the minors last month.

Narvaez did not play in a single game for the Astros this season. He took the field in four contests for the Chicago White Sox earlier this year.

It must feel like déjà vu for Narvaez, who also signed a minor league deal with the Astros in June last year only for him to remain with the Space Cowboys for the rest of the year.

Narvaez is a few seasons removed from his All-Star campaign with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021. He batted .266 with 11 home runs and 49 RBIs across 123 games for the Brewers.

After entering the league as a high-average hitter at the catcher spot, Narvaez has failed to regain his form as he enters his mid-thirties.