Houston Astros News: Caratini, Tucker, Verlander, Garcia

SEATTLE — Astros catcher Victor Caratini could rejoin the team for its next series at Oakland as he recovers from a strained left hip flexor muscle, manager Joe Espada said Saturday.

Caratini played in a minor league rehab game at Double-A Corpus Christi on Friday, catching six innings and getting one hit in two at-bats with a home run and a walk. He was scheduled to catch seven innings on Saturday, then hit as Corpus Christi’s designated hitter on Sunday.

Right fielder Kyle Tucker did “intense defensive drills” in the outfield at T-Mobile Park to test his injured right shin Saturday, Espada said.

“Today’s exercises were very encouraging,” Espada said.

Tucker has yet to hit a pitch or run the bases since his injury June 3. Espada said Tucker hit against a machine inside, but “velocity-wise, it wasn’t as intense as we wanted.”

Justin Verlander threw a 40-pitch bullpen session in Houston on Saturday, his second session from the mound since recovering from a neck injury.

Luis Garcia also threw about 15 pitches from the mound Saturday, Espada said. Garcia had not thrown from the mound since returning to rehab on July 4 following Tommy John surgery.