Astros must act fast as injury creates nightmare scenario for Houston

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada gave various injury updates on Wednesday, but the most concerning among them centered around starting catcher Yainer Diaz. According to Espada, Diaz sprained his left foot while playing winter ball in December, and while he's still participating in baseball activities, his running progression will be behind some others.

The one area on the Astros roster where they can least afford an injury is behind the plate. Despite his stated goal to add another catcher this past offseason, Astros GM Dana Brown failed to acquire one. Victor Caratini signed a two-year deal with the Minnesota Twins, and Cesar Salazar is now the only healthy backstop on Houston's 40-man roster.

Houston missed out on the likes of Andrew Knizner, James McCann, and Jonah Heim — all of whom would have been suitable backups behind Diaz this season. None of those players signed for more than $3 million. Now, Brown finds himself in the unenviable position of either trading for a catcher (which is unlikely) or signing one of the remaining veterans to a free agent deal.

Yainer Diaz's injury should force the Astros to make a move

At this time, however, there's hardly a robust market for catchers. Mitch Garver is arguably the best name still out there, but he's better suited to be a team's DH. Garver appeared in 87 games for the Seattle Mariners last season and spent just 43 games behind the dish.

Christian Vazquez has been consistently linked to the Astros throughout the offseason, but has yet to sign a deal. After a down year in Minnesota, it's hard to see the 35-year-old signing anything more than a minor-league deal with a non-roster invite. Houston, however, is desperate and may have to hand over a Major League contract to get Vazquez to sign on the dotted line.

Elias Diaz is a former All-Star, but his best days are in the rearview mirror. He was behind the plate for the San Diego Padres last season, but hit just .204 with a 74 wRC+. Diaz was also left off the Friars' postseason roster after suffering an oblique strain last September, and one wonders if that's why he's still lingering on the open market.

According to reports, Diaz is still hitting and will catch Tatsuya Imai's bullpen today, so that's good news. But even if Diaz is full-go by the time Opening Day rolls around, the Astros need another catcher. Any one of the aforementioned backstops would be a solid addition to Houston's roster, and if Diaz suffers a setback, the Astros will be glad to have a veteran on the roster.