DETROIT – The Astros, having been shut out in three consecutive games over 28 innings following Tuesday’s 1-0 loss in 10 innings to the Tigers, could use a major jolt in their lineup. They might be about to get one with the return of slugger Yordan Alvarez.
Alvarez, in his first Minor League rehab outing at Double-A Corpus Christi, went 2-for-4 with a walk, a steal and a double while batting second as the Hooks’ designated hitter. His ninth-inning double to left-center field is a promising sign for Alvarez that the hand injury that’s plagued him for three-plus months might finally be healed.
Astros manager Joe Espada said the plan for Alvarez is to not play Wednesday before appearing in back-to-back games for the Hooks. If all goes well, it appears Alvarez could be activated this weekend while the Astros are in Baltimore.
Meanwhile, Astros starter Luis Garcia made his eighth Minor League rehab start in the game against Frisco and gave up six runs (five earned), seven hits, two walks and two homers and struck out six batters in 4 1/3 innings. There were no publicly available data to show his velocity, which has been an issue in his rehab outings.
Garcia has been out since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2023 and has suffered a couple of setbacks in attempts to get back into Houston’s rotation.
Alvarez originally hurt his right hand swinging the bat in a game in late April, but he kept playing through the pain because he’s dealt with similar injuries in the past. He was scratched from the Astros’ lineup before the May 3 game against the White Sox in Chicago and went on the injured list May 5.
He was originally diagnosed with a muscle strain in his right hand following a May 6 MRI exam. The swelling and inflammation in the hand prevented the team from seeing what turned out to be a fracture of the fourth metacarpal. The team announced on May 31 that Alvarez had a fracture that was 60 percent healed, calling it a “small fracture.”
Alvarez took batting practice on the field at Daikin Park on June 28 and reported to West Palm Beach on June 29 to ramp up his rehab with live batting practice. He took some dry swings on June 30, but then he reported to the facility on July 1 with more pain in his hand, prompting a visit to a hand specialist.
He received two injections into his hand on July 2 to help reduce inflammation and took some time off before resuming swinging the bat. The team said Alvarez has received injections in his hand previously while on the injured list this season.
The hand injury played a role in Alvarez’s underwhelming .210/.306/.340 slash line with only three homers and 18 RBIs in 121 plate appearances this season. He was a force in Houston’s lineup last season, which was his fourth consecutive year hitting 30-plus home runs. He slashed .308/.392/.567 with 35 homers and 86 RBIs, earned his third consecutive American League All-Star nod and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player.