The Astros designated catcher Craig Tatum for assignment, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com tweets. The move creates a 40-man roster spot for the newly signed Jack Cust.
The Astros had claimed Tatum from the Orioles in October. The 28-year-old has three partial seasons of catching experience at the Major League level and isn't yet eligible for arbitration. He has a .223/.291/.264 line in 299 MLB plate appearances and has stopped 21% of stolen base attempts against him. In eight seasons as a minor leaguer, the 2004 third round pick has a .249/.316/.377 batting line and has stopped 35% of stolen base attempts.
