The Houston Astros announced a roster move on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the second game of their series with the New York Yankees. The Astros reinstated catcher Victor Caratini from the seven-day injured list and optioned outfielder Chas McCormick to Triple-A Sugar Land, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.
Caratini returns, as expected, after missing seven days and going through the MLB's concussion protocol.
Meanwhile, McCormick heads to Triple-A Sugar Land after hitting just .172 in his last 30 games.
Astros Start Two Catchers on Wednesday
With Houston's roster moves on Wednesday afternoon, the Astros will start Caratini at first base and Yainer Diaz behind the plate. Caratini has had an impressive season for the Astros, batting .262 with a .733 OPS, and earned the start alongside Astros' starting catcher, Diaz.
As for McCormick, Astros' manager Joe Espada said the move was simply because the team has too many outfielders at the moment.
Houston expects to have centerfielder Jake Meyers return from injury soon, and that adds to Yordan Alvarez, Jesus Sanchez, Taylor Trammell and Cam Smith.
McCormick has been struggling at the major league level this year, hitting just .210 with a .569 OPS, and Espada wants him to get more consistent at-bats.
Espada on McCormick getting sent down pic.twitter.com/GVoiT4IF0s
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) September 3, 2025
The Astros' fan favorite broke out in 2023, hitting .273 with an .842 OPS, but hasn't been able to return to that level of play consistently. For now, McCormick will play at Sugar Land to get more reps and at-bats.
The Astros' manager also credited McCormick for taking the news well, and understanding the situation. Espada said there's still four weeks left in the season and McCormick could rejoin the team before the end of the year.
The Astros are back in action on Wednesday night against their rivals, the Yankees, at Daikin Park.