Astros place C Victor Caratini (hip flexor) on 10-day injured list

The Houston Astros placed catcher Victor Caratini on the 10-day injured list on Friday due to a left hip flexor strain.

Caratini, 30, was injured sliding into home plate during the third inning of a game against the host Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. The IL move is retroactive to Thursday.

Caratini is batting .248 with four home runs and 17 RBIs in 105 at-bats over 39 games in his first season with the Astros. He is a career .237 hitter in parts of eight seasons with the Chicago Cubs (2017-20), San Diego Padres (2021), Milwaukee Brewers (2022-23) and Astros.

The Astros recalled rookie outfielder Joey Loperfido from Triple-A Sugar Land, selected right-hander Jake Bloss from Double-A Corpus Christi, optioned right-hander Luis Contreras to Sugar Land and designated right-hander Blair Henley for assignment.

Bloss was scheduled to start for Houston in his major league debut against the host Baltimore Orioles on Friday night. A third-round pick by Houston in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Georgetown, Bloss was a combined 4-2 with a 1.74 ERA, 21 walks and 60 strikeouts in 62 innings over 12 starts at the Astros' Double-A and High-A affiliates this year.

Loperfido, 25, is 13-for-39 (.333) with one homer and five RBIs in 15 games for the Astros.

Contreras, 28, has not appeared in a major league and was moved to clear an active roster spot for Bloss. Henley, 27, who pitched 1/3 of an inning this season for Houston, was in the rotation at Sugar Land and was moved to create a 40-man roster spot for Bloss.

--Field Level Media