Designated hitter Yordan Alvarez is in his seventh major-league season with the Houston Astros after an impressive debut season in 2019 that saw him capture AL Rookie of the Year.
Since then, he has established himself as one of the best power hitters in baseball, collecting three All-Star appearances, a Silver Slugger Award and two top-10 MVP finishes.
He has been a staple in the Astros’ lineup and delivered key home-run swings in the organization’s 2022 World Series championship.
Through his first 658 career games, he has 167 home runs and 484 RBIs to pair with a lifetime .295 batting average and .959 OPS.
Alvarez has been out since May 2 with a fracture in his right hand, initially diagnosed as a sprain. He experienced pain during rehab, prompting a specialist’s evaluation that determined the discomfort was due to inflammation rather than a setback in his fracture healing.
Alvarez received two injections to reduce the inflammation last Wednesday, with the team anticipating he’d swing a bat again within a few days.
Almost a week later on Tuesday, the Astros announced that although Alvarez has continued to work out, he has yet to pick up a bat and hit in batting practice.
Astros injury updates. Still no baseball activities for Jeremy Peña. Asked yesterday whether Peña would play before the All-Star break, Joe Espada said he didn't want to answer the question. pic.twitter.com/Myn3iX7EYH
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 8, 2025
When healthy this season in 29 games, Alvarez struggled, hitting just three home runs with a .210 batting average and .646 OPS.
The Astros have surged despite missing the Cuban power hitter, sitting at 55–36, winners of seven of their last ten games and holding a 6.5-game lead in the AL West over the second-place Seattle Mariners.
If Alvarez returns to form and rejoins the lineup this season, the Astros could become an even more formidable force.
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