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Astros Could Be Getting Back Injured Star Isaac Paredes for Important Mariners Series
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The Houston Astros have seen star player after star player get injured this season, and the latest one to Yordan Alvarez might have been the most demoralizing.

After finally getting him back in the lineup following an extended absence due to a hand injury, the star slugger was reminding everyone just how dangerous of a hitter he is before he exited Monday's game with a sprained ankle that will keep him on the shelf for some time. The injury has been deemed significant, and it's something that could cause him to miss the entirety of the playoffs if the Astros qualify for the postseason.

That's a frustrating development in a year that has been full of them. But Houston has finally gotten some good injury news regarding an impact player.

Dana Brown Says Isaac Paredes Could Be Back This Weekend

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In an interview with local radio station SportsTalk790, general manager Dana Brown gave an update regarding Isaac Paredes and stated that the Astros could be getting back the slugger for their huge weekend series against the Seattle Mariners.

"We're actually talking about Paredes coming back this weekend," he said. "We're still working through that. There's an outside chance that he could be back for this weekend with the Seattle series coming up. He's doing that well in Florida right now, and so we're staying optimistic there."

That is huge news for Houston. Paredes was arguably the team's best hitter before he went down with what was believed to be a season-ending hamstring injury, with him slashing .259/.359/.470 to go along with 19 home runs, 35 extra-base hits, 50 RBIs and an OPS+ of 128.

Paredes likely won't return to the field if and when he's activated off the injured list. Carlos Correa has taken over at third base and Jose Altuve is being used more often at second base, so it's wise to make sure his hamstring is fully healthy before throwing him back into the field. Brown also revealed that Paredes would take over the designated hitter role.

"Initially, it will be (designated hitter). I can't say it's going to be DH the whole time, but initially it would be DH," he said. "I think that the idea would be let him DH, give him a day off, let him DH, give 'em a day off ... You want to really gradually bring him back into this. But it'll probably start off at the DH position for sure."

Whatever capacity Paredes returns in should be a major boost for the offense. This is a lineup that has struggled to put together consistent performances, so getting an above average hitter back in their order who can work counts is a huge positive.

Based on the comments made by Brown, the Astros are going to get a key piece of their puzzle back for the stretch run.

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This article first appeared on Houston Astros on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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