Houston Astros Backup Catcher Could Need Injured List Stint
The Houston Astros have dealt with injuries all season that has impacted the poor performance they have had to date.
According to Spotrac, 13 of their players have missed 686 total days of action already.
That will only continue to rise with Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy out for the year, and Justin Verlander being placed on the injured list for the second time this season.
However, it seems like another player could be joining them soon.
Backup catcher Victor Caratini is getting some imaging done on his left quad following being removed from Wednesday's game after attempting to score from third base on a ground ball. He had previously gotten hit with a foul ball on that same leg prior to his third-inning removal.
The Astros' injury page reports that manager Joe Espada confirmed the catcher is getting his quad looked at by team doctors and "depending on the imaging results, Caratini could be looking at a stint on the injured list."
This would be a tough blow for Houston.
After being brought in during the offseason, the veteran has been solid for them in a backup role, slashing .248/.287/.429 with four homers, 17 RBI, and an OPS+ of 102. Caratini's performance has allowed Yainer Diaz to get time at designated hitter to keep his bat in the lineup when not behind the plate as Caratini has a defensive bWAR of 0.5.
There already is a third catcher on this roster in Cesar Salazar who has gone 3-for-4 with three RBI in his two games, but that sample size is way too small to get a read on how he might perform with more opportunities going forward.
How this impacts the Astros will be seen.
They might have to use Diaz behind the plate more than they would prefer since he has a defensive bWAR of -0.2 this season. The biggest asset of their emerging star catcher is his bat and not what he does on defense.
This injury could change things as his inexperience at the dish combined with the inexperienced pitching staff due to injuries could become a major issue.
Nothing has been officially announced regarding Caratini, but the fact that Espada is already mentioning there might be stint on the IL for the veteran is not a good sign.
BRAD WAKAI
Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently covers the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros for Sports Illustrated/FanNation. He is also the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai