Alvarez (knee) will start at designated hitter and bat second Tuesday in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series versus the Tigers, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Alvarez missed the final week of the regular season with a right knee sprain, but he's progressed sufficiently enough to be included on the Astros' wild-card series roster and in their Game 1 lineup. The 27-year-old slashed .308/.392/.567 with 35 home runs in 147 games this season.