Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Less action in left field for 2025?
Rotowire
Manager Joe Espada said Monday that he would like to "cut back" on Alvarez's playing time in left field for the 2025 season, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Of the 147 regular-season games Alvarez played in 2024, 94 of them were as the designated hitter compared to 53 games in left field. Part of Espada's desire to restrict Alvarez's playing time in the outfield is partially due with the left-handed slugger's right knee sprain toward the end of the 2024 regular season. If Alvarez serves as the Astros' full-time DH for 2025, that would mean more playing time in the outfield for the likes of Chas McCormick, Mauricio Dubon and 24-year-old Zach Dezenzo, who Rome notes played in left field during winter baseball in Puerto Rico.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: In Game 1 lineup
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Will hit, run Monday to test knee
Rotowire
Alvarez (knee) will do some hitting and running Monday at Minute Maid Park to test out his potential availability for the wild-card series, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Astros manager Joe Espada had said Sunday that Alvarez was going to take batting practice Monday, and now he's revealed that the slugger will do some running, too. How he feels during and after the workout will determine whether Alvarez will be part of the team's roster for the first round of the postseason. Alvarez has missed a little over a week of action with a right knee sprain.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Set for hitting work Monday
Rotowire
Alvarez (knee) is expected to take part in some hitting work with the Astros on Monday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Alvarez has been working his way back from a right knee sprain that he suffered Sept. 22. The lefty slugger still has some boxes to check, but manager Joe Espada is more optimistic than he was earlier in the week that Alvarez will be able to contribute to Houston's postseason efforts. The Astros will begin their wild-card series with the Tigers in Houston on Tuesday, but as yet it's unclear if Alvarez will be available.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: May begin activity Sunday
Rotowire
Manager Joe Espada said Saturday that Alvarez (knee) could resume baseball activities Sunday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
The skipper didn't specify what exactly Alvarez will be doing, but the fact Alvarez is nearing a return to activity is a good sign that his sprained knee is trending in the right direction. Once the 27-year-old slugger is able to test out his knee, the team may have a better idea of whether he'll be ready for the start of the AL Wild Card Series.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Ruled out through weekend
Rotowire
Alvarez (knee) will remain in Houston to work with the training staff and will miss the Astros' final series of the regular season this weekend in Cleveland, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Alvarez's regular season thus comes to a close, though manager Joe Espada noted that the slugger's sprained right knee is feeling better. Still, Alvarez has yet to resume baseball activities, so he'll continue to rehab back in Houston with the goal of returning in time for the start of the wild-card round, which begins Tuesday.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Nursing knee sprain
Rotowire
Alvarez has been diagnosed with a right knee sprain Monday and won't be available for at least the next two games, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.
The Astros aren't ruling out a return for Alvarez during the team's final three-game series against the Guardians, but the club will shut him down for at least a few more days after tests revealed a sprain. Jon Singleton slotted in to the DH slot Monday night in Alvarez's absence and Victor Caratini got the nod at first base, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see these two continue to see at-bats at either spot until Alvarez is cleared to return.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: X-ray negative, MRI still coming
Rotowire
Alvarez will undergo an MRI on his right knee Monday after an X-ray on Sunday came back negative, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Alvarez exited Sunday's game against the Angels after banging his knee on the ground on a slide and is not in the lineup for Monday's series opener versus the Mariners. Astros manager Joe Espada noted that the slugger woke up sore Monday, although Alvarez had been set to undergo an MRI regardless. Consider Alvarez day-to-day for now, with more clarity on his situation potentially coming later in the day.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Absent from Monday's lineup
Rotowire
Alvarez (knee) is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Mariners, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Alvarez departed Sunday's 9-8 loss to the Angels after banging his right knee on the ground while sliding. He had been set to undergo imaging on the knee Monday, and while the results of his tests have not yet been revealed, Alvarez will miss at least one start. Jon Singleton will serve as Houston's designated hitter Monday.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Set to undergo imaging
Rotowire
Astros manager Joe Espada said after Sunday's 9-8 loss to the Angels that Alvarez will undergo imaging on his right knee, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Alvarez injured his right knee while sliding into second base in the bottom of the third inning, and he left the game after being visited by trainers. The initial diagnosis was a knee contusion, but the results of the imaging will determine Alvarez's availability for the final week of the regular season.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Exits with right knee contusion
Rotowire
Alvarez left Sunday's game against the Angels with a right knee contusion, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Alvarez appears to have avoided a serious injury, but with his history of knee trouble, the Astros may sit him down for at least a day or two to be safe. The injury occurred when Alvarez slid into second base on a double in the bottom of the third inning. Mauricio Dubon pinch ran for Alvarez and stayed in the game in left field.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Leaves game with apparent injury
Rotowire
Alvarez left Sunday's game against the Angels with an apparent right leg injury, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Alvarez doubled in the bottom of the third inning, but he came up favoring his right leg after sliding into the second-base bag. He left the game after a visit from the trainer, and with Houston thinking big picture, the team could opt to rest the slugger for a game or two even if this turns out to be minor.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Tallies four hits, including homer
Rotowire
Alvarez went 4-for-5 with a home run, a double and two total runs in Saturday's 10-4 win against the Angels.
Alvarez's most productive hit was a solo shot to center field in the seventh inning. That was his 35th long ball of the season, 10th most in the majors. The four-hit performance snapped an uncharacteristic cold streak for Alvarez, who came into Saturday having gone 2-for-22 over his previous six games.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Blasts 34th homer in win
Rotowire
Alvarez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk in Saturday's win over the Angels.
Alvarez launched a two-run, 432-foot home run off Tyler Anderson in his third trip to the plate to give Houston a 3-2 lead, marking the outfielder's second straight game in which he's gone deep. The long ball was his 34th of the campaign and his sixth this month, during which he's now batting .286 (14-for-49) with 13 RBI and seven runs scored. Alvarez has also recorded two RBI in back-to-back contests.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Posts steal Tuesday
Rotowire
Alvarez went 2-for-6 with a stolen base in Tuesday's 4-3 extra-innings loss to the Athletics.
Alvarez has multiple hits in three of the last four games, though he's also gone hitless three times over eight contests in September. The slugger's steal was his seventh of the year after he had never stolen more than one base in a single season. He's added a stellar .312/.396/.570 slash line with 32 home runs, 80 RBI, 80 runs scored and 31 doubles through 135 contests.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Goes yard twice in win
Rotowire
Alvarez went 2-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI in Friday's 8-0 win over the Diamondbacks.
The slugger connected for a three-run shot off Brandon Pfaadt in the fifth inning before launching another one off Jordan Montgomery just one frame later. The multi-homer performance was Alvarez's seventh of the season, tying the Astros' franchise record set by Chris Carter in 2014. Three of those power displays have come in the last nine games, a stretch in which Alvarez is batting .382 (13-for-34) with seven homers and 12 RBI.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Another multi-homer game
Rotowire
Alvarez went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs Sunday against the Royals.
Alvarez tallied multiple home runs for the second time in five games, bringing his total on the season to 30. His power has lagged for much of the campaign, but the recent surge has his ISO up to .257 along with a .571 slugging percentage through 128 games.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Back in lineup in left field
Rotowire
Alvarez (neck) will start in left field and bat second in Monday's game against the Phillies, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Alvarez was on the bench for each of the Astros' last three games due to neck discomfort, but the team's willingness to use him in the outfield rather than at designated hitter Monday implies confidence in his health moving forward. He'll put an 18-game on-base streak on the line as he draws back into the lineup Monday. During that stretch, Alvarez has slashed .364/.475/.652 with five home runs and 12 walks against 10 strikeouts.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Sitting again Sunday
Rotowire
Alvarez (neck) is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
It's the third straight game on the bench for Alvarez as he continues to battle neck discomfort. The 27-year-old should continue to be considered day-to-day heading into Monday's series opener at Philadelphia. Mauricio Dubon, Chas McCormick and Ben Gamel will start across the outfield Sunday while Yainer Diaz serves as the designated hitter.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Out again Saturday
Rotowire
Alvarez (neck) isn't in the Astros' lineup for Saturday's game against the Orioles, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Neck discomfort prevented Alvarez from playing in Friday's contest, and he'll need at least one more day off to recover. Mauricio Dubon, Jake Meyers and Ben Gamel will make up the Astros' outfield while Victor Caratini serves as the DH.
