Twins' Victor Caratini: Drawing 10th straight start
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Caratini will start at designated hitter and will bat sixth in Wednesday's game against the Red Sox.
Though Caratini doesn't sit atop the depth chart at any spot, he's been able to see steady playing time this season through his duties as the Twins' backup catcher and as a platoon partner for the left-handed-hitting Kody Clemens. Caratini will draw his 10th consecutive start Wednesday, with six coming at first base or DH against lefties and the other four coming as a catcher versus righties when Ryan Jeffers has received a breather.
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Twins' Victor Caratini: Slugs three-run homer
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Caratini went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run, an additional run scored and two walks in Monday's 13-6 victory over the Red Sox.
Caratini's lone hit was a loud one, as he crushed a Garrett Crochet cutter into the second deck for a three-run homer to extend the Twins' lead to double digits in the second inning. The veteran switch hitter has seen ample playing time between catcher and first base to open the 2026 campaign, appearing in 14 games while hitting .271/.373/.354 with a homer, a double, five runs and eight RBI.
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Twins' Victor Caratini: Piling up starts
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Caratini will start at catcher and bat sixth in Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.
With top backstop Ryan Jeffers receiving the afternoon off, Caratini will fill in behind the dish as he makes his seventh consecutive start -- three at first base, three at catcher and one at designated hitter. The veteran switch hitter is batting .286 (6-for-21) during that stretch with a double, two runs and three RBI.
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Twins' Victor Caratini: Drives in three runs
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Caratini went 2-for-4 with three RBI in Monday's 7-3 victory over the Tigers.
Caratini was a run-producing force, driving in three runs as part of his second two-hit performance of the young campaign. Through seven games, the veteran is hitting .269/.333/.269 with no extra-base hits and four RBI. While he's not entrenched as an everyday player, Caratini has seen frequent opportunities, spelling Ryan Jeffers behind the plate and drawing starts at first base over Kody Clemens against left-handed pitching.
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Twins' Victor Caratini: Making third straight start
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Caratini will start at first base and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Royals.
Caratini will be included in the lineup for the third game in a row, with two starts coming at first base and one at catcher. With the Twins facing a lefty starter (Noah Cameron) for the second straight game, Caratini will fill in at first base for the left-handed-hitting Kody Clemens, who should continue to occupy the large side of a platoon moving forward. Caratini's playing time versus right-handed pitching will likely be more sporadic, but he'll see occasional starts against them either at catcher or designated hitter.
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Twins' Victor Caratini: Gets start at first base
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Caratini started at first base and went 1-for-3 in Thursday's 2-1 loss against the Orioles.
It looks like Caratini could be Minnesota's starting first baseman against left-handed pitchers. At the least, it shows new manager Derek Shelton isn't afraid to use both Caratini and Ryan Jeffers in the same lineup. Caratini may get more playing time than expected in the backup catcher role.
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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: 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.
