Next Game
Fri, Sep 22 @ 8:10 pm ET
vs Kansas City Royals (51-102)
  • Minute Maid Park
  • HOU -235, O/U 8
Probable Pitchers
regional restrictions may apply

AL West Standings

Team W-L L10 STRK
85-68 4-6 W1
84-68 5-5 W3
84-68 6-4 W2
69-84 3-7 L1
46-107 2-8 L8

2023 Batting

STATS AVG
Batting Average
HR
Home Runs
RBI
Runs Batted In
OPS
On-base Plus Slugging
SB
Stolen Bases
Regular Season .287 23 59 .864 0

Top Yainer Diaz News

  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Not in lineup Sunday

    Diaz is not in the lineup Sunday against the Royals.

    Diaz boasts an .847 OPS with 22 home runs and 57 RBI in 97 games this season for Houston, but he's been riding the pine on a fairly regular basis since Michael Brantley (shoulder) joined the active roster. Brantley is playing left field Sunday as Yordan Alvarez fills the designated-hitter role and Martin Maldonado handles catching duties.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Not in lineup Friday

    Diaz is absent from the lineup Friday at Kansas City.

    Martin Maldonado will start at catcher and Yordan Alvarez will serve as the Astros' designated hitter as Michael Brantley patrols left field. Diaz has posted a strong .847 OPS with 21 home runs in 95 major-league games this season, but he's largely been a part-time player over the last few weeks.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Homers, playing time in question

    Diaz went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run and two total runs scored Monday against the Rangers.

    Diaz drew the start behind the plate and has been in the lineup in four of six games since Michael Brantley returned, with one of those appearances coming at designated hitter. Even though he's continued to hit well, the path to playing time for Diaz may be closing as the team looks to protect the health of both Brantley and Yordan Alvarez -- making it likely that one of the duo will occupy the designated hitter role. Meanwhile, the Astros have yet to show the desire to move away from Martin Maldonado behind the dish, which could give Diaz an uphill battle for playing time moving forward.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Slugs homer No. 20

    Diaz went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Yankees.

    The rookie supplied the Astros' final offense of the night when he drove a Luis Severino slider the other way for an opposite-field homer. Diaz has cemented his spot in the lineup by slashing .303/.340/.574 since the beginning of August with seven of his 20 long balls on the season, and the 24-year-old has fallen into a pattern of starting two out of every three games -- once at DH and once at catcher.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Gets Sunday off

    Diaz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Yankees.

    Diaz is sitting for the second time in six games and won't have as clear of a path to an everyday role following Michael Brantley's recent return from the 60-day injured list. However, with Diaz having maintained a .929 OPS since the All-Star break, he's continuing to make it difficult for manager Dusty Baker to take him out of the lineup.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Takes seat in series finale

    Diaz is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Red Sox.

    Diaz will head to the bench after starting in the first two games of the series in Boston and going 1-for-8 with two walks, two runs and an RBI. He'll have a more crowded path to playing time moving forward after the Astros activated Michael Brantley from the 60-day injured list Tuesday, but manager Dusty Baker will likely look to find ways to keep Diaz's bat in the lineup so long as the rookie remains productive. Diaz has compiled a .917 OPS over 36 games since the All-Star break.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Swats pinch-hit home run

    Diaz went 2-for-2 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 17-4 win over the Tigers.

    Diaz entered the game as a pinch hitter for Martin Maldonado in the eighth inning and had the luxury of facing backup catcher Carson Kelly, who was pitching for the Tigers to preserve the bullpen while Houston held a 12-0 lead. The rookie still took advantage of the favorable matchup and supplied his 19th home run, setting an Astros record for most home runs in a season for a catcher. Diaz is still in a timeshare behind the dish with Maldonado, though the Astros have found ways to keep Diaz's bat in the lineup at designated hitter and first base on his non-catching days. The 24-year-old is now slashing .284/.304/.537 with 48 RBI and 39 runs in 313 plate appearances on the campaign.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Still has regular job

    Diaz went 0-for-4 with a walk Saturday against the Tigers.

    Diaz didn't have a remarkable game, but his role in the Houston lineup appears secure. He's started all four games since Jose Abreu was activated from the injured list, playing twice at catcher and twice serving as the designated hitter. Diaz will need to be productive at the plate to keep his playing time, as his presence in the starting lineup will likely either push Abreu to the bench or force Yordan Alvarez to play the outfield.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Heads to bench Sunday

    Diaz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Tigers.

    Though Diaz is on the bench for Sunday's series finale, expect the Astros to find a way for him to stick in the lineup on a near-everyday basis. He had started in each of the last nine games, slashing .316/.350/.553 with five extra-base hits. Even with Jose Abreu having recently returned from the injured list, the Astros can keep Diaz's bat in the lineup by deploying Yordan Alvarez in the corner outfield more often or giving top catcher Martin Maldonado more frequent days off.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Racks up three hits

    Diaz went 3-for-5 with one RBI in Wednesday's 7-5 extra-inning loss to the Red Sox.

    Diaz extended his hitting streak to seven games, a span in which he's gone 12-for-31 (.387) with three home runs and seven RBI. The 24-year-old has seen a bit more playing time this week with Yordan Alvarez (finger) battling an injury. Diaz is up to a .286/.302/.541 slash line with 18 home runs, 18 doubles, 46 RBI and 37 runs scored across 82 contests this season. He continues to provide cover at catcher, designated hitter and first base.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Not starting Tuesday

    Diaz is not in the lineup Tuesday versus the Red Sox.

    After drawing into the starting lineup in four straight games, Diaz will be on the bench Tuesday. The 24-year-old went 7-for-18 with five extra-base hits during his aforementioned quartet of starts, and his night off will result in Jon Singleton sliding into the DH role.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Late add to Tuesday's lineup

    Diaz was a late addition to Tuesday's lineup against the Red Sox, starting at designated hitter and batting cleanup, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

    Yordan Alavarez injured his left index finger in his door at home Tuesday, so he was a late scratch, with manager Dusty Baker expressing hope that he would be back in the mix Wednesday. Diaz has been playing pretty regularly at first base, designated hitter and catcher, and he is hitting .321 with five home runs in 16 games this month.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Nabs third straight start

    Diaz will start at catcher and bat cleanup in Sunday's game against the Mariners.

    After going 4-for-8 with a solo home run and a pair of doubles in the first two games of the series while making starts at first base, Diaz will move behind the dish for Sunday's finale as top backstop Martin Maldonado gets a day off. Though Diaz is without a clear path to an everyday role at any one spot, expect the Astros to find ways to keep his hot bat in the lineup at first base, catcher or designated hitter. Since the All-Star break, Diaz ranks fourth among all Astros hitters with a .976 OPS.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Pops 16th homer

    Diaz went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Tuesday against the Marlins.

    Diaz drew the start behind the dish for the third time in Houston's last six games. He has earned that increase in playing time at the plate, as he's maintained a .299 batting average with six homers, 20 RBI and 12 runs scored across 77 at-bats since the All-Star break. Diaz has also gotten sporadic looks at designated hitter, even since the return of Yordan Alvarez.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Homers in win

    Diaz went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Friday's win over the Yankees.

    After spending most of his recent games batting in the bottom third of the order, Diaz was moved up to fifth in the lineup and delivered early, as his first inning shot off of struggling Yankees starter Luis Severino gave the Astros a lead they would not relinquish. The 24-year-old catcher is now up to 14 home runs on the season and has blasted four of those homers since the All-Star break. He continues to split time behind the plate with Martin Maldonado, but his superior offensive production could continue to lead to more at-bats as the Astros battle for the AL West crown.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: On bench Thursday

    Diaz is out of the lineup Thursday against the Yankees.

    Martin Maldonado will start at catcher and bat ninth as the Astros open a big four-game series at Yankee Stadium. Diaz should start at least two of the games, whether behind the plate or as Houston's designated hitter.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Productive day at plate

    Diaz went 2-for-5 with one double, a two-run home run, an additional RBI and an additional run scored in Saturday's victory over Tampa Bay.

    Diaz tagged starter Taj Bradley for a two-run shot in the second inning, marking the 24-year-old's 13th homer of the season and his third in the past six games. However, he didn't stop there, plating Chas McCormick on a fifth-inning double off Calvin Faucher. Over his last 16 games, Diaz is 15-for-54 (.278) with five home runs and 13 RBI.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Lifts late homer

    Diaz went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 13-5 loss to the Rangers.

    Diaz's blast came in the ninth inning with the Astros trailing by 10 runs, so it had little consequence on the game. The 24-year-old will need to continue making an impact with the bat, as the return of Yordan Alvarez (oblique) Wednesday likely means that Diaz's primary path to at-bats as the designated hitter has been cut off. He could still push for more time behind the dish -- Diaz is batting .263 with a .774 OPS through 61 contests, compared to Martin Maldonado's .170 average and .548 OPS over 76 games. Diaz has added 12 homers, 28 RBI, 25 runs scored and 13 doubles.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Heads to bench in Alvarez's return

    Diaz is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rangers.

    Diaz had started each of the last three games -- with the last two coming as a designated hitter -- but he'll cede his spot in the lineup to Yordan Alvarez (oblique), who was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Wednesday. Unless the Astros are willing to pull the plug on the struggling Martin Maldonado as their primary catcher, Diaz will likely be limited to a part-time role moving forward after he had been a near-everyday player for Houston since the beginning of June.

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  • Astros' Yainer Diaz: Smacks homer in win

    Diaz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Athletics.

    It was a needed two-hit effort for Diaz, who had sat out two straight games and is starting to lose playing time to Jake Meyers at designated hitter. The reduced playing time seems a bit undeserved -- Diaz is 13-for-53 (.245) with four multi-hit efforts, four homers and seven RBI through 15 contests in July. He's maintained a solid .266/.286/.492 slash line with 11 homers, 24 RBI, 24 runs scored and 12 doubles through 210 plate appearances overall. Diaz's path to a starting role will likely get tougher with Yordan Alvarez (oblique) likely to return Monday, which could make the DH spot even more competitive going forward. Chas McCormick, Corey Julks and Meyers may also be impacted by Alvarez's return.

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Player Bio

HT/WT: 6-0, 195 lbs
Birthplace: Azua, Dominican Republic
Age: 25
Experience: R
Bats/Throws: R, R