MILWAUKEE -- The Astros received what they consider good news regarding the injury to slugger Yordan Alvarez on Wednesday. Manager Joe Espada said an MRI revealed that Alvarez has a muscle strain in his right hand that will simply require some rest before he returns to the lineup.
“I think with some rest and some time, he’ll be back here -- hopefully swinging the bat by the time we get back home,” Espada said. “We got that as good news, so hopefully, we’ll get him going here in the next few days.”
Alvarez was scratched from the Astros' lineup prior to Saturday’s game against the White Sox in Chicago and flew to Houston on Monday to undergo further tests. Alvarez was on the injured list in July 2022 with right hand inflammation.
Alvarez is off to perhaps the worst start of his career. He’s slashing .210/.306/.340 with three homers and 18 RBIs in 121 plate appearances this season. He was 0-for-4 in Friday’s series opener in Chicago. In 12 games since April 18, he’s slashing .190/.265/.310 with one home run -- a 436-foot moonshot on April 27 in Kansas City.
“He just did not seem to be himself,” Espada said. “It probably came from the hand. Once he heals, once he gets back, I think we’ll see a more aggressive at-bat and be not as cautious. I think [the hand] had something to do with it, yes.”
Alvarez is coming off his fourth consecutive 30-plus-homer season, one in which he slashed .308/.392/.567 with 35 homers and 86 RBIs. He earned his third consecutive American League All-Star nod and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player in 2024.
“It’s something that this guy has been such a good hitter and the way he uses his hands, we’ve got to make sure this doesn't prolong and get to a point where he misses a long period of time,” Espada said.
After starting 53 games in left field last year, Alvarez has started only six in left this season and 23 at designated hitter. Espada said in Spring Training he’d like to limit Alvarez’s exposure to left field to help keep his knees healthy, but the issues with his hand remain a problem.