Astros’ Yordan Alvarez to Begin Rehab Assignment, Hopeful to Return This Weekend
Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez is set to begin a rehab assignment at Double-A on Tuesday, according to manager Joe Espada.
The 28-year-old hasn’t played since May 2nd due to a fractured right hand suffered while swinging a bat in late April. He’ll serve as the designated hitter in his first rehab game with Corpus Christi.
It’s unclear how many rehab games Alvarez will require before returning from the injured list. However, general manager Dana Brown said Sunday during a radio show in Houston that he could rejoin the team in Baltimore this weekend after playing back-to-back contests on Thursday and Friday.
Either way, this is the closest that Houston has been to having their superstar hitter back in the lineup all season.
“It’s really good news,” Espada told reporters prior to Sunday’s 12-0 loss to the Orioles, including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. “The fact he’s feeling better and we’re getting to a point where we can see him back is awesome.”
Over the weekend, Alvarez participated in live batting practice at the Astros’ player development complex in West Palm Beach, FL, logging eight at-bats before flying to Houston to be re-evaluated.
The three-time All-Star was initially diagnosed with a muscle strain in his right hand, believing he could play through the ailment, as he’s endured similar injuries in the past. But once swelling and inflammation subsided, it was later revealed that he suffered a fracture of the fourth metacarpal, which was only 60 percent healed by the end of May.
Alvarez ultimately visited a hand specialist last month after experiencing lingering pain and discomfort during his hitting progression. Upon that visit, he received a pair of injections to help reduce the inflammation in his hand, briefly halting his recovery program.
It’s been over three months since the left-handed-hitting DH last suited up for the Astros, who’ve been riddled with injuries this season. But now, with a potential light at the end of the tunnel, there’s a chance he could provide a major boost as this club prepares for a run to October.
“Once we get the full team back on the field, I think it’s going to be really exciting,” Espada said.
Houston is also currently without Isaac Paredes, Jake Meyers (who may begin a rehab assignment soon) and Brendan Rodgers on the position-player side. On top of that, they’ve had to overcome the losses of several starting pitchers and will now have to do the same without closer Josh Hader, who’ll miss the rest of this season after straining his right shoulder.
Given the slow nature of Alvarez’s recovery, many had wondered if he’d be able to return in 2025, and if he did, what version of him would the Astros receive?
The injury to Alvarez’s right hand significantly impacted his offensive results prior to hitting the 60-day IL, leading to a miserable .210/.306/.340 slash line with just three home runs and a 74 wRC+ (100 league average) across 29 games.
He’s been virtually unstoppable when healthy, though, as only Aaron Judge (190) posted a higher wRC+ than his 164 from 2021-24. Plus, he surpassed the 30-home-run mark each season during that span, tying Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the sixth-most round-trippers (136) in the majors.
If all goes well on his rehab assignment, Alvarez – who’s in the third season of a six-year, $115-million contract – would likely DH exclusively upon returning to the Astros’ lineup.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: Ken Lund. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.