Astros place Yordan Alvarez on IL, activate Isaac Paredes ahead of key series vs. Mariners
Paredes has been sidelined for two months with a hamstring strain
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1 min read
The Houston Astros will begin a pivotal series against the Seattle Mariners on Friday that could determine the American League West winner, and they'll have a key player back in their lineup for it. Veteran third baseman Isaac Paredes, sidelined since July 19 by a strained right hamstring, has been reinstated from the injured list. In corresponding moves, the Astros placed slugger Yordan Alvarez on the IL and transferred right-hander Kaleb Ort to the 60-day IL to create space on the 40-player roster.
Paredes, 26, was in the midst of a tremendous season before suffering his injury. In 94 games, he had hit .259/.359/.470 (128 OPS+) with 19 home runs and 50 runs batted in. Paredes was named an AL All-Star this season, and his contributions had been worth an estimated 2.5 Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball-Reference's calculations. The Astros originally added Paredes from the Chicago Cubs as part of the Kyle Tucker trade.
How the Astros deploy Paredes is to be seen. Remember, Houston obtained Carlos Correa as part of a surprise trade at the deadline to fill the void left by Paredes' absence. Correa has since started all but two games at third base. It stands to reason that the Astros could have Paredes and Correa split time at the hot corner, with the other slotting in as Houston's designated hitter.
Alvarez who otherwise would have been viewed as the Astros' most-days DH, is sidelined for the time being after injuring his ankle earlier this week by slipping on the plate. Alvarez described his injury as significant, and it's unclear when he'll be able to return to the lineup -- if at all this season.
The Astros and Mariners will enter Friday's game tied for first place in the AL West. The winner of this three-game set will take the head-to-head season series as well. That's an important consideration, given that MLB no longer plays Game 163s. Instead, any ties are settled based on, first and foremost, the head-to-head record.
