HOUSTON -- In what could be his final step before being activated and rejoining the Astros’ lineup, designated hitter Yordan Alvarez took live batting practice Friday against a pair of Minor League pitchers at Daikin Park -- even planting one into the right-field seats.
With general manager Dana Brown, manager Joe Espada and several of his teammates watching, Alvarez didn’t appear to hold back when facing arms Grant Burleson, an 18th-round pick in last year’s MLB Draft, and Dylan Howard, an eighth-round pick last year. Alvarez didn’t talk after the swings, but Espada was encouraged.
“It went really well,” Espada said. “He hit some balls out of the ballpark, he hit some balls the other way. He said he felt good, so we’ll see where this takes us. I think this is a step in the right direction.”
Espada said the club will have to wait to see how the hand responds.
“I think we’re going to give this some time here and see how this feels,” Espada said. “I think today went well.”
Alvarez, who hasn’t played since going 0-for-4 against the White Sox on May 2, is off to perhaps the worst start of his career, slashing .210/.306/.340 with three homers and 18 RBIs in 121 plate appearances this season. He hasn’t used the hand as an excuse for his slow start this year, though.
“Obviously, going onto the field, it’s been a little bit frustrating being on the IL because of my hand,” Alvarez said after taking swings off a hitting machine Thursday. “It’s not a secret how difficult it is as a hitter to be dealing with hand pain. I’ve played hurt before, but obviously now with inflammation, it’s a little bit different.”
Alvarez admitted he could have returned to the lineup sooner, but wanted to give the hand enough time to be fully healed.
“Obviously, this is something that’s delicate,” he said. “I could have returned before, but as soon as we saw the hand and how it reacted because of the inflammation, that’s why it’s been a little bit more time than what I anticipated it to be.”
The Astros are 14-11 without Alvarez in the lineup heading into Friday’s game against Tampa Bay. They’ve been one of the best offenses in the game during May, ranking first in the Major Leagues in batting average (.277), fifth in OPS (.774) and 11th in runs scored (116).
Alvarez has made 24 starts in the No. 3 spot lineup and five in the No. 2 spot, but it appears he’s going to hit cleanup when he returns. Espada said he likes how the top of the lineup has gelled since he switched Isaac Paredes and Jose Altuve on May 19, with Paredes now hitting second and Altuve hitting third behind leadoff hitter Jeremy Peña.
“I do like that 1-2-3 punch,” he said. “I might stay there, but have to see once we all get those guys in there and see how everything flows. Right now my plan is to keep it as is.”