Astros' Victor Caratini: Headed for part-time role
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Caratini is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mariners.
Caratini had started in four of the Astros' last five games, but he appears set to fade into a part-time role in the final week of the regular season. With Isaac Paredes returning from the 60-day injured list Friday but likely to be limited to the designated-hitter role for the foreseeable future while he recovers from a hamstring injury, the Astros won't have regular room in the lineup for Caratini.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Drawing third straight start
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Caratini will start at designated hitter and bat fifth in Wednesday's game against the Rangers.
Caratini had initially been serving as a part-time player upon recovering from a concussion and getting activated from the 7-day injured list Sept. 3, but he'll be making his third consecutive start Wednesday. The significant left ankle sprain that Yordan Alvarez suffered in Monday's 6-3 win over Texas has created an opening in the everyday lineup, though Caratini could be at risk of seeing his playing time get cut if Isaac Paredes (hamstring) returns from the 60-day IL this weekend.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Back from IL, playing first base
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The Astros activated Caratini (concussion) from the 7-day injured list Wednesday. He will start at first base and bat seventh in Wednesday's game versus the Yankees.
Caratini missed the minimum seven days while recovering from a concussion. He'll start at first base Wednesday as Christian Walker gets some rest.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Aiming to return Wednesday
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Astros manager Joe Espada said that Caratini (concussion) could be reinstated from the 7-day injured list as soon as Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Caratini seems to be making good progress in his recovery from a concussion, with Espada noting that the backstop did some running and threw to the bases Monday. The Astros don't seem to be planning on sending Caratini out on a rehab assignment, so he could be activated Wednesday if he remains clear of concussion symptoms coming out of Monday's workout.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Placed on IL with concussion
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The Astros placed Caratini (concussion) on the 7-day injured list Wednesday.
After taking foul balls off his catcher's mask Sunday and Tuesday, Caratini entered concussion protocol Wednesday and will now officially miss at least a week of action. Cesar Salazar was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to fill in as Houston's backup catcher, though he will get the start behind home plate Wednesday against the Rockies while top backstop Yainer Diaz manages a hand injury.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Enters concussion protocol
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Caratini is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rockies and is being evaluated for a concussion, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
The veteran catcher has taken a couple foul balls off his mask recently and is now in danger of landing on the injured list. Cesar Salazar is starting behind the plate Wednesday and will operate as the backup to Yainer Diaz (hand) while Caratini is unavailable.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Homer, three RBI in win
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Caratini went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Saturday's 9-8 win over the Orioles.
Caratini launched a two-run homer in the first inning and added an RBI groundout in the third. It was the 32-year-old's first home run since the All-Star break, but he's still gone 12-for-37 with six RBI through 15 contests in August. For the year, he's slashing .265/.322/.422 with 11 long balls, 42 RBI, 31 runs scored and a steal across 326 plate appearances.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Playing time trending down
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Caratini is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.
Despite bringing his batting average up to .267 with a 4-for-5 performance in Saturday's 7-3 loss, Caratini will head to the bench for the series finale. With Houston acquiring Carlos Correa and Jesus Sanchez at the trade deadline and getting Jeremy Pena back from the injured list Friday, Caratini's playing time may become more inconsistent.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Getting breather Saturday
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Caratini isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Athletics.
Although he owns a .999 OPS through 35 plate appearances against southpaws this season, Caratini will step out of the starting nine Saturday with left-hander Jacob Lopez on the mound for the A's. Jose Altuve will assume the role of DH while Caratini rests, opening up left field for Cooper Hummel.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Three hits, steal in loss
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Caratini went 3-for-4 with two walks, one RBI and one stolen base in Saturday's 7-6 extra-innings loss to the Mariners.
Caratini has hit safely in eight straight games, going 11-for-31 (.355) in that span. The steal was his first since the 2023 campaign -- he was caught stealing on his only attempt in 2024. The catcher has hit his way into the lineup on a regular basis, playing either behind the dish or at designated hitter while sharing both positions with fellow backstop Yainer Diaz. Caratini is up to a .265/.316/.439 slash line with 10 home runs, 33 RBI, 24 runs scored and nine doubles through 247 plate appearances. He's always had a decent bat for a catcher, but the 31-year-old is on pace for career highs in nearly every counting stat this year if he can continue to see steady playing time.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Stays hot offensively
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Caratini went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run during Friday's 7-3 loss to the Rangers.
Caratini left the yard for the 10th time this season Friday, clearing the right-field wall to account for two of Houston's three runs in the game. The 31-year-old has a hit in four straight games and has been red-hot to start July, slashing .345/.323/.724 with two doubles, three homers and 11 RBI. The latter two numbers already have matched or eclipsed his highs from any other month this season, and there are still 15 games on the schedule before the calendar turns again.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Lifts another grand slam
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Caratini went 3-for-5 with a grand slam, two doubles and a second run scored in Friday's 18-1 win over the Dodgers.
Caratini has launched a pair of grand slams over his three games in July. He's 6-for-14 with eight RBI to begin the month in fine form. Overall, the catcher continues to perform well at the plate. He's slashing .254/.308/.429 with eight homers, 27 RBI, 21 runs scored and nine doubles across 208 plate appearances this season.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Sitting Wednesday
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Caratini is not in the Astros' starting lineup against the Rockies on Wednesday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Caratini will begin Wednesday's game on the bench after going 2-for-4 with a grand slam against Colorado on Tuesday. Shay Whitcomb will serve as the designated hitter and bat eighth.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Belts grand slam
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Caratini went 2-for-4 with a grand slam in Tuesday's win over the Rockies.
Caratini helped power the Astros to a win Tuesday with a third-inning grand slam, his seventh home run of the season. The veteran catcher has been hovering around league average at the dish in 2025, slashing .246/.303/.402 with 14 extra-base hits, 23 RBI and a 97 OPS+ in 57 games.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Resting Sunday
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Caratini is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.
Caratini will rest after drawing starts at designated hitter Friday and catcher Saturday. Yainer Diaz will serve as the Astros' catcher Sunday, while third baseman Isaac Paredes gets a day out of the infield and steps in at DH.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Caps huge inning with homer
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Caratini went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run and an additional run scored Wednesday in an 11-4 victory versus the Athletics.
The Astros put together a seven-run sixth inning, and Caratini's three-run blast to left field accounted for the team's final runs in that explosive frame. The veteran backstop began June in a 3-for-35 tailspin through 10 games, but he appears to be turning things around, going 5-for-8 over his past two contests. While Caratini continues to serve as Yainer Diaz's backup behind the plate, he's been in the lineup frequently with additional starts at both DH and first base, and he's put up a decent .718 OPS with four homers, 14 RBI and 16 runs through 167 plate appearances.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Racks up three hits Thursday
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Caratini went 3-for-4 with one RBI in Thursday's 9-2 win over the Mariners.
Caratini has logged multiple hits in four of his last seven games, though he has just two RBI in that span. The catcher is up to a .287/.367/.448 slash line with three home runs, six RBI, 12 runs scored and five doubles across 98 plate appearances this season. His strong hitting has earned him a near-everyday role in the absence of Yordan Alvarez (hand). While Alvarez's eventual return will negatively impact Caratini's playing time, he could still hit his way into some extra games since fellow catcher Yainer Diaz is batting just .231 this season.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Getting fourth start of season
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Caratini will start at catcher and bat sixth in Wednesday's game against the Mariners.
Caratini will receive his fourth start through the Astros' first 12 games of the season while Yainer Diaz gets the afternoon off. Diaz has mustered a lowly .200 OPS through 36 plate appearances, but after batting .299 with 16 home runs in 148 games in 2024, he likely has a long leash as the Astros' No. 1 backstop.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Sitting Sunday
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Caratini is absent from Sunday's lineup against Cleveland.
Cesar Salazar will start behind home plate and bat ninth in the Astros' regular-season finale while Yainer Diaz is the DH. Since Sept. 1, Caratini has slashed .261/.329/.377 with two home runs and eight RBI across 76 plate appearances.
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Astros' Victor Caratini: Drives in three runs Saturday
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Caratini went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run, an additional run and a walk against the Angels in Saturday's 10-4 victory.
Caratini blew the game open for Houston in the third inning, belting a three-run shot off Angels starter Reid Detmers to increase the Astros' lead to 6-1. It was the third straight start for Caratini, who played first base Saturday after serving as Houston's catcher Thursday and Friday. Caratini is batting .289 (13-for-45) with five RBI through 15 games in September.
