Yainer Diaz's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz is out of the team's starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. In his place, Victor Caratini will do the catching for right-hander Hunter Brown and will bat in the nine-hole for the Astros against Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson. With a scheduled day off coming on Thursday for Houston, fantasy managers should expect Diaz to be back in there on Friday for a series opener in Oakland against the Athletics. Diaz is currently slashing .264/.297/.385 with three home runs, 22 RBI and 18 runs scored in 174 at-bats as the Astros' primary catcher in 2024. The switch-hitting Caratini has gone 16-for-64 (.250) this year as the backup with two homers and 11 RBI. He's hitless in three career at-bats against Anderson and should be avoided in DFS lineups.

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz continued his strong start of the season on Thursday versus the Kansas City Royals. Diaz went 2-for-5 on the day with a home run. The home run would be the third of the season for the 25-year-old. Diaz has become the full-time catcher with veteran Martin Maldonado signing with the Chicago White Sox this offseason and the move has worked to perfection thus far. Diaz has not only been a solid bat in the middle of the lineup, but he is hitting a healthy .333 with three homers and seven RBI in 51 games. As a fixture in one of the better lineups in the league and at a tough position, fantasy managers must be thrilled with their early return on investment with Diaz.

Yainer Diaz has accepted the role of full-time catcher for the Houston Astros. The 25-year-old is reportedly going to "let things flow" this year, refusing to let the pressure overwhelm him. Houston's new manager Joe Espada showed his support for Daz, stating that he is "ready for the challenge." Daz was certainly up to the challenge in 2023, mashing 23 homes in just 104 games. Looking ahead, the Astros believe he will be a solid catcher for the foreseeable future.