MILWAUKEE – Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has been diagnosed with a right hand upper muscle strain.
The news generates optimism in the team, as it is expected that their absence from the injured list will not be prolonged.
The three-time All-Star was placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday, retroactive to Saturday, and returned to Houston for an MRI that revealed the muscle strain.
We see it as good news.
Joe Espada, Astros manager
Espada expressed his hope that Alvarez does not have to remain on the injured list beyond the required 10 days. He also suggested that the hand issue might have influenced Alvarez’s slow start to the season.
Alvarez, 27, is batting .210 with an on-base percentage of .306, three home runs and 18 RBIs in 29 games this season.
In the previous season, he batted .308 with an on-base percentage of .392, 35 home runs, and 86 RBIs in 147 games, finishing ninth in the American League MVP voting.
He has posted an OPS of at least .959 and finished 13th or higher in MVP voting in each of the last three seasons.
Once he recovers, I think we’ll see more aggressive hitting and not so cautious. I think it had something to do with that, yes.
Joe Espada, Astros manager
Alvarez’s return could be crucial to boost an Astros lineup that hasn’t been as productive as usual this season.
The Astros were 21st in runs scored (136) and 23rd in OPS (.676) in the Major Leagues before Wednesday’s game. Houston has been in the top 11 in both categories in each of the last four seasons.
