Astros Manager Shares 'Good News' on Superstar Slugger's Injury Timeline

The Houston Astros are currently without their best hitter, as designated hitter Yordan Alvarez was placed on the injured list on Monday with right hand inflammation.

On Wednesday, Astros manager Joe Espada shared an update on Alvarez's status with the media in Houston.

According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, Espada revealed that MRI results showed a muscle strain in the top of Alvarez's right hand.

Espada classified the update as "good news," and according to MLB.com beat reporter Brian McTaggart, he added that the team hopes to have Alvarez back as soon as he is eligible to be activated from the injured list.

This news is cause for a huge sigh of relief for Houston fans, as the team has spent the entire 2025 campaign season mired in an offensive funk.

With former Astro stars Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman thriving with their new teams, the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox respectively, Houston needs whatever it can get at the plate.

Alvarez has not been exempt from the team's offensive struggles, but his track record of dominant play is so lengthy that there is no need for long-term concern that he will not be able to right the ship.

The Cuban slugger owns a .210/.306/.340 slash line to this point in the year, with three home runs and 18 runs batted in to his name.

The underlying Statcast data suggests there is no reason to believe the lefty won't turn things around, as Alvarez occupies the 95th percentile in average exit velocity and the 79th in expected slugging percentage.

If he can use his time on the injured list to reset and get back to 100 percent, look for Alvarez to be a spark that could possibly help the Astros' offense get back on track.