Yordan Alvarez Shut Down by Astros After Imaging Revealed Hand Fracture

Houston Astros star Yordan Alvarez has been taking live at-bats in his road back to the field after suffering a muscle strain in his right hand. His at-bats were going well, and he was projected to return to the diamond soon.

But he'll now face a setback.

On May 30, Alvarez felt some discomfort in his right hand and was promptly shut down from batting practice. He was taken for imaging, which revealed a fracture that was "60% healed" according to Astros general manager Dana Brown, as reported by Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

This news is frustrating since a return to the lineup this weekend was in the range of outcomes. Alvarez was starting to overcome hurdles that seemed liked his IL stint was on the verge of being over, which was different from the initial tone when he expressed frustration that his stint on the IL was longer than expected.

At the time of writing, there has been no actual timetable given

However, Alvarez is being shut down with the hopes that he can return "in the near future."

Many fractures take four to six weeks to heal fully, but since his is already partially healed, it will likely be on the shorter end of that range.

Alvarez was having a rough start to the season when he went down, slashing .210/.306/.340. Getting him back on track so he can produce at his normal rate by the end of the year is important.

The Astros currently have the lead in the American League West at 31-26 with the Seattle Mariners a half-game behind them.

Getting the superstar back sooner rather than later will be essential for keeping the club's current lead in the division and going on another deep playoff run.

More From Astros On SI