Omar

Narvaez

Narváez provides Houston with some additional catching insurance with Victor Caratini sidelined due to injury. The 32-year-old veteran backstop was cut loose by the Mets earlier this month.

The Astros might be more worried about Victor Caratini’s hip injury than they were originally. If Caratini can’t return after the break, Narváez could overtake César Salazar to become Yainer Diaz’s backup.

Narváez was in the second year of a two-year, $15 million contract, so there was little doubt that he’d clear waivers after being DFA’d last week. He should eventually land a backup gig somewhere.

Narváez’s days on the Mets roster were likely numbered already with Francisco Alvarez on a rehab assignment. Instead the Mets are swapping him out for the newly acquired Luis Torrens. He batted just .154 in 28 games this season for the Mets.

The official timetable puts Alvarez’s potential return, barring any setbacks, at some point in mid-June. The 22-year-old backstop suffered the injury during last Friday’s contest when he slipped while rounding first base. It’ll be veteran Omar Narváez handling the catching duties for New York in his absence.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Alvarez is “beat up” at the moment, which is leading to him sitting for the second time in the last four games. It sounds like typical bumps and bruises that come with handling the workload of a full-time catcher, but fantasy managers should monitor his status over the next few days. It’ll be veteran Omar Narváez handling the catching duties in his absence.

It’s a routine off day for Alvarez with veteran Omar Narváez handling the catching duties. The 22-year-old backstop is off to an excellent start at the dish this season, batting .333 (8-for-24) with one homer and four RBI through seven games.

He’s now hitting an even .500 (5-for-10) to begin the regular season. Alvarez got the start out of the DH spot on Sunday, with Omar Narvaez playing behind the plate. It’s nice to have the luxury to use Alvarez at DH, but it’s going to get tricky to do so once J.D. Martinez arrives in early-April.

Narváez is currently slotted in as the Mets’ back-up catcher after exercising his $7 million player option; however, the Mets also have Tomas Nido in the minor leagues making $2.1 million for the coming season, so it’s only logical that one of them would be dealt. Narváez reportedly would be open to being moved somewhere where he could play more regularly, but it remains to be seen if his salary would be a hindrance.

No surprise here as Narváez was unlikely to land a multi-year pact this offseason on the open market after being limited to just 49 contests this past season in his Mets debut due to injuries and the emergence of potential franchise cornerstone Francisco Alvarez. The 31-year-old backstop still offers some over-the-fence pop in a reserve role and will serve as Alvarez’s primary caddy for the 2024 campaign.