Astros slugger lands on IL again amid postseason chase

The Houston Astros have placed outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez on the 10-day injured list with a left ankle sprain, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic, retroactive to Sept. 16. That opens an active roster spot for infielder Isaac Paredes. It was reported earlier on Friday that Paredes would be reinstated from the 60-day IL. To open a 40-man spot for Paredes, reliever Kaleb Ort has been transferred to the 60-day IL.

Earlier this week, Alvarez slipped on home plate while coming around to score a run against the Rangers, as seen in this video from MLB.com. After the game, manager Joe Espada said Alvarez would be going for an MRI, and Alvarez was seen in a walking boot and on crutches. The next day, Espada described the injury as “pretty significant” and said Alvarez would be “out for a while.”

Yordan Alvarez's comes at the worst time for the Astros

The Astros initially held off on placing Alvarez on the IL to evaluate his progress, but they have now decided to do so. IL placements can be backdated by three days so that Alvarez can be reinstated in a week.

It’s unclear if the injury will actually allow that to be a real possibility; however, it makes it a situation to watch going forward. Alvarez has been one of the best hitters alive in recent years. He slumped earlier this year, but it was later revealed he had an undiagnosed finger fracture. He spent some time on the IL healing up and seemed to be back to his old self once he returned. He slashed .369/.462/.569 in 78 plate appearances between that previous IL stint and this new one.

Losing that kind of bat is obviously less than ideal for the Astros, especially when they are still playing meaningful games. They are tied with the Mariners for the West division lead, and the two clubs begin an essential series against each other on Friday night. If the Astros lose that series and fall behind the M’s, they would still be in possession of a wild-card spot, but that would put them at risk of missing the playoffs entirely. The Guardians are the top team outside the postseason spots right now, and they are only 2.5 games back of Houston.

Even if the Astros hang on and make it to October, they will be hamstrung unless Alvarez can make it back. If he can return to the club for the final days of the regular season or the postseason, it could create a bit of a lineup clog. Paredes is coming back after a lengthy injury absence of his own due to a hamstring strain. He has been taking batting practice lately but hasn’t played any rehab games. He’s serving as the designated hitter on Friday, but it’s unclear if the Astros have any intention of having him play the field in the coming weeks.

Getting Alvarez back to a state of semi-health where he can hit would be great, though it’s less than perfect if both he and Paredes are in that bucket. That would mean one of them would have to sit or be forced into the field each day. Jose Altuve is also ideally suited for a DH role these days since his glove work isn’t great anywhere, but he’ll have to be out there in the field somewhere if Paredes or Alvarez are in the DH spot going forward.

As for Ort, this transfer definitively ends his season. He landed on the 15-day IL in early September due to right elbow inflammation. It was reported shortly thereafter that he wasn’t likely to return during the regular season. This transfer also wipes out any chance of him appearing in the postseason, even if the Astros make a deep run. He finishes the year with a 4.89 earned run average in 46 innings. He can be retained for four more years after this one, but is out of options and may be on the roster bubble this winter, given his mediocre results this year and uncertain health status.