Astros: Drew Butera adds Triple-A catching depth due to injuries

The Astros add Drew Butera to the Skeeters, as their Double-A options have run dry.

While the Houston Astros wait on a second opinion on Jason Castro’s knee injury, they have signed veteran catcher Drew Butera to a minor-league deal. The ball club expects him to join Triple-A later this week, as the only catcher in Sugar Land is now Colton Shaver.

Garrett Stubbs’ call-up and Michael Papierski’s move to the taxi squad left the Skeeters bare in backstops, as even Shaver hasn’t seen consistent innings at catcher this season. With Sean Manea out for the year with a broken hand and Korey Lee still on the injured list, the Astros didn’t have experienced options to promote to Triple-A from Corpus Christi.

Butera has been a journeyman in his 12-year career, consisting of five different major-league stints. Over that time, he has collected only 262 hits in 553 games. The Astros did add Butera before the September 1 deadline, which is for players to be eligible for the postseason, but that shouldn’t matter in this case unless a domino effect of injuries hit the major-league catching unit.

The 38-year-old will most likely be with the Skeeters for the remainder of the season, as most of the catchers behind Shaver have hit the shelf. This move could also hint to an extended stay for Castro on the injured list, as Papierski is now traveling with the major-league team.

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The 40-man roster is filled, and with Marwin Gonzalez playing with the FCL Astros, both players could be eyeing roster spots, as the team enters September. The expanded rosters will add viable time to assess their status inching closer to the postseason.

With Zack Greinke and Taylor Jones both hitting the injured list due to health and safety protocol, the two have been reported as vaccinated, but it doesn’t mean they both couldn’t have tested positive. Robel Garcia and Josh James were both promoted from the taxi squad.

Rosters expand to 28 on Wednesday. As Chas McCormick wraps up his rehab assignment and Jose Urquidy is already back with the team, both players could be the two additions closing out the series in Seattle in Wednesday.

After a haunting grand slam from Abraham Toro on Tuesday, the Astros look to win their series with the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday at 3:10 p.m. Jake Odorizzi matches up against right-hander Logan Gilbert.