BASEBALL: With Yainer Diaz back, Astros chase series win vs. Tigers

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz returned from a 38-game stint on the injured list and scored the tying run in the eighth inning of a 4-2 comeback victory over the visiting Detroit Tigers on Tuesday.

Diaz will look to make an impact again on Wednesday afternoon in the decisive contest of the teams' three-game series.

Diaz finished 1-for-3 with a walk and sparked a three-run rally in the eighth inning with a one-out single. He landed on the IL in early May with a left oblique strain, and Astros manager Joe Espada said the club will take every precaution to keep him healthy, with Diaz and backup Christian Vazquez likely to split time at catcher.

Vazquez batted only .156 with Diaz sidelined but was instrumental in helping the pitching staff get on track last month.

"Having Diaz back, we've got to monitor his workload," Espada said. "He's been out for quite a while, and this injury, we have to keep a close eye on how quickly he recovers.

"So the volume is important, (the number of) games in a row is important. So we're going to be talking to him and the medical staff just to make sure we do the right thing for Yainer Diaz."

Peter Lambert (5-4, 3.47 ERA) has the starting assignment for the Astros on Wednesday. The right-hander did not factor into the decision of a 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Los Angeles Angels last Wednesday after allowing two runs on five hits with six strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings. That snapped his stretch of three winning starts.

Lambert has faced the Tigers once in his career, throwing three scoreless innings with the Colorado Rockies on July 1, 2023. He allowed two hits and one walk with two strikeouts but did not factor into the decision of a 4-2 extra-inning loss.

Right-hander Casey Mize (2-3, 2.27 ERA) will be reinstated from the injured list to start for the Tigers on Wednesday. He was placed on the IL on May 28 with right adductor inflammation. He allowed two hits and one walk with six strikeouts over four scoreless innings but did not factor into the decision of a 4-0 win over the Angels on May 27.

Mize was 0-1 with a 1.08 ERA in three starts last month after spending the first two weeks of May on the IL.

Mize is 2-0 with an 0.95 ERA in three career starts against the Astros. In his previous appearance against them on May 10, 2024, he allowed one run on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts over six innings but did not factor into the decision of a 5-2 home loss.

Tigers right-hander Keider Montero made his first relief appearance of the season on Tuesday and took the loss after allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits with two strikeouts over 1 1/3 innings. Montero made 13 starts before moving to the bullpen on Monday.

The Tigers expect Justin Verlander to return from the injured list on Sunday against the Chicago White Sox, while Troy Melton, who was scratched from his start on Monday with back soreness, is poised to start on Saturday. Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is scheduled to start the series opener on Friday.

"This series, he knew that that's going to be his role," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said of Montero. "And the early part of the next series. That kind of lays out the next two series, which is as far as we've gone. After that, we'll see how it all sorts out."

-Field Level Media/Reuters