The Cubs claimed veteran René Rivera off waivers from the New York Mets ten days later, on August 19th, and Victor Caratini was sent back to the minors.
He hit .342/.393/.558 with 27 doubles and 10 home runs in 83 games for the AAA Iowa Cubs, earning him Cubs Minor League Player of the Year honors. In 31 games as a big leaguer, he hit .254/.333/.356 with a home run.
In 2018, Caratini saw more experience in the major leagues, but he struggled at the plate, hitting.232/.293/.304 in 76 games. He appeared in 20 games at first base and pitched in two mop-up appearances.
In 2019, he hit .266/.348/.447 with 11 home runs in 244 at-bats while playing 95 games (59 behind the plate, 23 at first, and two more pitching).
He split catching responsibilities with Contreras in 2020, when the National League adopted the universal DH due to the abbreviated season caused by the Coronavirus epidemic, with the one not starting behind the plate typically being the team’s DH.
Among his 44 games, he started 21 at C and 16 at DH, hitting .241 with one home run and 16 RBIs. He was Yu Darvish’s personal catcher that year, and he was the Cubs’ most successful starting pitcher.
Is Victor Caratini Italian?
Victor Caratini is not Italian. He is Puerto Rican.