Astros Slugger Yordan Alvarez Reveals What Has Delayed His Return from Injury

Yordan Alvarez is tantalizingly close to returning to the Houston Astros batting order.

On Friday, the designated hitter teed off on a pair of minor league pitchers at Daikin Park, one day after he hit pitchers off a machine as he tries to take the final steps toward a return to the lineup, perhaps as early as this weekend against Tampa Bay.

Astros manager Joe Espada isn’t committing to a return this weekend. He wants to see how Alvarez recovers from back-to-back days hitting the baseball. But, his session on Friday came with Espada and general manager Dana Brown watching, along with players like Jose Altuve.

They’re chomping at the bit to get him back. Alvarez wants to return. So why the delay?

Yordan Alvarez Reveals Injury Struggles

It’s been nearly a month since the Astros put Alvarez on the 10-day injured list with a right hand muscle strain. He was eligible to come off the injured list on May 13. He’s more than two weeks past the deadline.

This is an injury Houston had hoped would only keep him on the IL for the requisite 10 days.

Alvarez has expressed his frustration with his recovery. But he knows why he’s been delayed in returning, as he revealed to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart.

It’s not the pain that’s holding him back. And he wanted to get everything under control so he doesn’t have to go back on the IL.

“Obviously, this is something that’s delicate,” he said. “I could have returned before, but as soon as we saw the hand and how it reacted because of the inflammation, that’s why it’s been a little bit more time than what I anticipated it to be.”

Before the injury, Alvarez was mired in a month-long slump to start the season. He slashed .210/.306/.340 in 29 games with three home runs and 18 RBI. It’s a far cry from his production of the past three season, each of which led to All-Star Game selections.

Houston could use his 162-game average slash of .295/.387/.573 and something resembling the 41 home runs and 119 RBI he averages per 162 games.

He’s also capable of producing in a season when he loses a month due to an injury, such as 2023. He only played 114 games that season but slashed .293/.407/.583 with 31 home runs and 97 RBI.

Without him, Houston is near the top of the American League West division. Getting his bat in the lineup could help push them ahead of the Seattle Mariners.