Cubs call up C Chris Gimenez, send Victor Caratini to minors

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CHICAGO (AP) The Chicago Cubs have selected the contract of catcher Chris Gimenez from Triple-A Iowa and optioned catcher Victor Caratini to the farm club.

To make room for Gimenez on their roster, the Cubs designated infielder Efren Navarro for assignment.

Gimenez joined the Cubs on Saturday before their game with the San Francisco Giants. The 35-year-old signed a minor league contract with Chicago in the offseason after a combined nine seasons with five major league teams.

Gimenez played for Cubs manager Joe Maddon with Tampa Bay in 2012 and 2013 and teamed with struggling Chicago starter Yu Darvish with Texas in 2014. Darvish, who signed a $126 million, six-year free-agent deal with the Cubs in the offseason, is 1-3 with a 4.95 ERA in eight starts and just earned his first win with Chicago last Sunday at Cincinnati.

Darvish is scheduled to start Sunday against San Francisco, but Maddon said Gimenez will not be behind the plate. Maddon said the move was made primarily to get the 24-year-old Caratini more playing time.

Caratini appeared in 26 games with Chicago, batting .262 with three doubles and four RBIs.