Yainer

Diaz

It appears to be a routine off day for Diaz after making 17 consecutive starts between catcher and DH since May 2. It’ll be Victor Caratini handling the catching duties with rookie Zach Dezenzo getting a turn at DH.

Diaz’ home run was his fourth of the season. The 26-year-old catcher was 2-for-33 (.061) with no home runs and one RBI in his first nine games this year. Since then, he’s 29-for-97 (.298) with four home runs and 20 RBI in 25 games. It looks like one of the best hitting catchers in all of baseball is back to normal after a slow start at the plate this season.

Finally, some genuine signs of life from Diaz. He was just a few feet shy of a two-homer game as his double fell just short of the wall and he scorched each of those hits at least 104 mph off the bat. He’s recorded a hit in seven of his last nine games and over that span took a paltry .404 OPS all the way up to a still very mediocre .597 OPS.

The Astros entered the sixth inning without a run and facing a 2-0 deficit. Christian Walker came through with an RBI double though that cut the lead in half and then Diaz followed with a two-run single that put them ahead to stay. Diaz also capped off the Astros’ scoring with an RBI knock in the seventh inning, finishing the night 2-for-4 with three RBI. He’s had a very rough go at the plate this season, slashing a pitiful .187/.213/.308 with just two homers and 12 RBI.

Diaz really needed a game like this. Hit-less in seven of his nine games this season, he teed off on the Angels bullpen in this one. His fifth inning grand slam broke the game open and his sixth inning double was tattooed as well. Hopefully he can build on this because he’s had one of the worst starts for any hitter in the league and he still has a lowly .432 OPS even after this huge performance. In the end, the Astros pulverized the Angels and reminded them who the top dogs still are in the AL West.

Diaz will get a night off; one of several regulars who are not in the lineup. Victor Caratini will be the catcher for Spencer Arrighetti while Diaz rests. Brendan Rodgers, Cam Smith and Jake Myers also will get a rest and will be replaced in the lineup by Chas McCormick, Mauricio Dubon and Zach Dezenzo.

Diaz missed the previous couple of days with an illness. The home run was his second of the spring.

Diaz has not appeared in a game over the last two days, but it appears he is simply sick, not injured. That’s good news with so many catchers going down with injuries early in spring training.

The Nolan Arenado trade failing to work out seems like good news for Diaz’s fantasy value. He probably would have been plunked down right behind Arenado’s mediocre OBP and plodding baserunning in Houston’s lineup had the third baseman approved a deal. Hitting fifth behind Christian Walker still isn’t perfect, but it’s definitely better than sixth, and there’s good reason to think Diaz will be a top-five fantasy catcher this season.

No runs batted in for Diaz today, as Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez combined to go 0-for-9 in front of him. Diaz has eight hits in his last four games.