Astros GM 'encouraged' by latest info on Yordan Alvarez's injury

DENVER — Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown said he was "encouraged" on Thursday about some new information being revealed surrounding the fractured right hand that is keeping slugger Yordan Alvarez out of the lineup.

With a great deal of focus surrounding the fracture in Alvarez's hand that has shelved him since May 2, Brown said the attention has now turned to the inflammation around the injury and the impact that is having on Alvarez being able to return to the Houston lineup.

The Astros revealed in a statement that additional imaging was performed on the right hand, revealing the most cause of the pain Alvarez was feeling came from inflammation. Two injections were given to Alvarez and he "will refrain from any activity involving his hand in the upcoming days."

Brown added that the plan was to let Alvarez rest "and let the shots take effect. Then as long as he's starting to feel better, we'll put a bat in his hand before we start hitting."

Alvarez is expected to take some swings "in the near future," Brown said, not putting a firm date along with any kind of timetable.

"The fracture at this point is a non-factor, which we are very glad about," Brown said on Thursday. "I'm encouraged because once the inflammation dies down, with the two injections that were received and fracture as a non-factor, that's encouraging for us."

Brown added that Alvarez is "already starting to feel a lot better. I think there's a component of this where he feels relieved that it's not related to the fracture and now he knows that."

Alvarez has been a key part of the Houston offense since debuting in 2019, three years after being sent to the Astros in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Heading into this season, Alvarez had hit 31 or more homers and driven in 86 or more runs in each of the last four campaigns.

When he was sidelined, Alvarez was off to a slow start this season, slashing .210/.306/.340 in his first 121 plate appearances with three homers and 18 RBI.

Despite the injury, Houston entered Thursday's game seven games ahead of the Seattle Mariners in the American League West.

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.