Latest Astros call up puts Joe Espada’s assessment of Yainer Diaz in question

Actions speak louder than words at the end of the day. As crucial as it is to remember that, it is paramount when taking comments made by coaches/front office members. Houston Astros manager Joe Espada is living proof of this, especially regarding the health of catcher Yainer Diaz.

Diaz bruised his right index finger on Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels after being hit by a foul. Since then, Espada has done his part to try downplaying the matter. Yet, he is saying one thing while the club is doing another, suggesting the issue may be more severe than initially led to believe.

Houston held Diaz out of the lineup for their following contest against the San Francisco Giants. Despite this, Espada told reporters he is available off the bench even going so far as to say the 25-year-old slugger could have played. The team seemingly elected to take a cautious approach.

Regardless, the talented young backstop could be out longer than anticipated, illustrated by the latest roster transaction.

Per Ari Alexander of KPRC 2, the Astros are recalling catcher Cèsar Salazar from their Triple-A affiliate, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. 

As Alexander points out, Salazar will join the major league group in San Francisco for their series against the Giants. In a corresponding move, the Astros have optioned outfielder Joey Loperfido.

Astros calling up Cèsar Salazar puts Joe Espada’s assessment of Yainer Diaz in question

Espada has made it feel like Diaz could return at any moment. But promoting Salazar is far from a ringing endorsement. How can we take anything the Astros manager says at face value now?

Salazar has fared well during his time with Sugar Land in 2024. He is batting .274/.387/.458 with six home runs and 35 RBIs. Albeit a small sample size, he struggled in 13 games in the majors last year.

According to Alexander, Diaz is dealing with swelling in his finger. While it remains unclear if a trip to the injured list is required, he is "trending in a good direction" after medical examinations. X-ray and MRI results were negative, meaning he avoided any catastrophic diagnosis.

In 58 games, Diaz has a .257/.283/.408 slash line with seven homers and 33 RBIs. Considering the Astros are 30-37 and presumably falling out of playoff contention, it makes sense not to rush him back.