Manager Joe Espada said Sunday that Alvarez (hand) has a "strong possibility" of returning from the 60-day injured list when the Astros begin their homestand Tuesday versus the Rockies, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Alvarez is on track to make his fourth and likely final rehab appearance for Double-A Corpus Christi on Sunday, and if all goes well, he's expected to get the long-awaited green light to make his return from the shelf. Through his first three games on the farm, Alvarez has made two starts as a designated hitter and one as a left fielder and has gone 5-for-11 with three doubles, three runs, one RBI, one stolen base and a 2:2 BB:K. Alvarez initially injured his right hand on a swing in a late April game, but he played through the injury before being deactivated May 5.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Hot start to rehab stint
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Alvarez (hand) has gone 5-for-8 with a walk, three doubles, and a stolen base through the first two games of his rehab assignment with Double-A Corpus Christi.
The 28-year-old returned to game action this week for the first time since landing on the injured list in May, and he hit the ground running in his first two contests at Double-A. GM Dana Brown indicated that Alvarez could rejoin the big club this weekend in Baltimore, though he's more likely to be reinstated when the Astros return to Houston to face the Rockies on Monday.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Could return early next week
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General manager Dana Brown suggested Sunday that Alvarez (hand) could be activated from the 60-day injured list at some point during the upcoming weekend, though the 28-year-old is more likely to return when Houston begins a 10-game homestand Aug. 26, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Alvarez is slated to kick off a rehab assignment with Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday, marking the slugger's first game action since he landed on the IL on May 5 due to what was later revealed to be a small fracture in his right hand. Despite being shelved for more than three months, Alvarez isn't expected to require a lengthy rehab assignment. The Astros plan to have Alvarez serve as Corpus Christi's designated hitter Tuesday, take Wednesday off, and then return to the Double-A lineup to play back-to-back games Thursday and Friday. Alvarez will be reassessed after those three games, and while it's feasible that he could rejoin the Astros for the final contest or two of the weekend series in Baltimore, he's more likely to stay behind in Texas before making his return to the Houston lineup early next week. Though Alvarez's power output could be compromised a bit coming off the hand injury, his eventual addition should provide a lift to the Astros offense down the stretch.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Cleared for rehab assignment
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Alvarez (hand) will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Double-A Corpus Christi, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Alvarez took eight at-bats in live batting practice Saturday at the Astros' spring training complex in Florida without issue, and Houston was comfortable clearing him for his game action since he landed on the injured list May 5. Manager Joe Espada said that Alvarez will serve as Corpus Christi's designated hitter Tuesday, and the 28-year-old will likely need multiple games in the minors to regain his timing at the plate before being activated from the 60-day IL. Jose Altuve has been seeing most of the starts at DH for the Astros of late, but he would likely shift back to second base once Alvarez is ready to return.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Takes live at-bats Saturday
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Alvarez (hand) took eight live at-bats in Florida on Saturday and will return to Houston on Sunday as the Astros determine his next steps, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Alvarez hasn't played in a game since May 3, so he'll likely require a minor-league rehab stint of some length before he's able to return to the Astros. With that said, his ability to swing against live pitching Saturday is a promising sign that he's moving past the fractured right hand that has cost him a significant chunk of the campaign. Alvarez could be back playing MLB games before the end of August, which would be a big boon for fantasy managers who have kept him rostered amid his lengthy absence.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Will take live BP this weekend
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Alvarez (hand) will take live batting practice this weekend, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
It will be the first time Alvarez has faced live pitching since he suffered a setback with his fractured right hand more than a month ago. If things go well for Alvarez this weekend, he should be cleared for a rehab assignment soon thereafter. A return before the end of August is possible. Alvarez has been sidelined since early May.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Nearing live at-bats
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Manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that Alvarez (hand) could advance to facing live pitching this weekend, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
The veteran slugger has been ramping up his hitting progression over the past couple weeks and is now on the cusp of facing live pitching for the first time since suffering a setback with his fractured right hand over a month ago. GM Dana Brown previously said the Astros were targeting mid-August for Alvarez's return, but he'll likely need at least another week or two beyond that since he's been on the shelf since early May.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Advances to on-field BP
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Alvarez (hand) took batting practice on the field Saturday at the Astros' spring training complex in Florida, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.
After he had previously been limited to hitting in the batting cages while he works his way back from a right hand fracture, Alvarez took a small step forward in the recovery process by facing off against pitching on the field. The Astros will likely want to see Alvarez complete several live BP sessions before clearing him to participate in simulated games or minor-league games, where he'll need to stockpile at-bats to regain his timing at the plate following a lengthy layoff from action. Houston has yet to provide a firm timeline for a return for Alvarez, who has been on the injured list since May 5.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Takes batting practice
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Alvarez (hand) took batting practice on the field Tuesday, MLB.com reports.
Alvarez is at the team's spring training facility in Florida and continued his hitting progression. His last known activity was hitting off a tee and soft-toss pitches, so Tuesday represented a step forward. Alvarez was last known to be targeting a mid-August return, but the situation remains murky.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Aiming for mid-August return
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Astros general manager Dana Brown said Wednesday that Alvarez (hand) could be activated from the 60-day injured list in mid-August, Michael Schwab of The Ice Box Insider reports.
Alvarez is working his way through a hitting progression and could be ready to face live pitching soon. He is sure to require a rehab assignment, and any timeline for Alvarez's return has to be considered approximate, given how his recovery has gone. The slugger has been sidelined since early May with a right hand fracture.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Moving through hitting progression
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Alvarez (hand) took approximately 50 swings off a tee and faced soft-toss pitching in the batting cage during his most recent workout Friday, MLB.com reports.
The Astros have remained mum on a potential timeline for Alvarez's return from the 60-day injured list, but general manager Dana Brown confirmed Sunday that the slugger is "ramping up his workload" and should soon be ready to face live pitching, per Sean O'Leary of SI.com. Alvarez has been on the IL since May 5 due to a right hand fracture, though inflammation and soreness appears to be the greater concern for the 28-year-old at this point rather than the broken bone.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Takes another step forward
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Alvarez (hand) was cleared to begin hitting off slow toss Monday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Alvarez was given the green light to resume swinging a bat Friday and took another step in the right direction Monday by swinging against slow toss. He's expected to take some cuts again Tuesday, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The team has yet to provide an exact timetable for Alvarez's return, but it seems the slugger will continue to make his way through a hitting progression and could return at some point during the current road trip in the DH slot if all goes according to plan.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Begins swinging
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Alvarez (hand) started swinging a bat Friday and is traveling with the team, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Friday is the start of a six-game road trip for the Astros, and general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that the organization could "try to expedite (Alvarez's) return." Alvarez may have just started swinging, but it looks like Houston will push to get him in the lineup sometime during the road trip. He'll likely be eased into action by playing DH at first, though. Alvarez has been on the IL since May 5 with a fractured hand.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Being re-evaluated Thursday
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Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that Alvarez (hand) will be re-evaluated Thursday and could be cleared to start swinging a bat, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Brown also added that Alvarez is no longer dealing with any pain in his hand and that the organization could "try to expedite his return." The veteran slugger has been on the injured list with the fractured hand since early May, and he received two injections to reduce inflammation in the area in early July. Alvarez won't be ready to rejoin the Astros for the start of the second half Friday in Seattle, but his activation may not be too far off if he can avoid any setbacks.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Given two injections for hand issue
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Alvarez was administered two injections in his right hand after a hand specialist determined Wednesday that the Alvarez is dealing with inflammation, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Alvarez experienced renewed soreness in the hand Tuesday after ramping up baseball activities, prompting a visit to the specialist. Additional imaging revealed that the main cause of the discomfort is inflammation, and the previously discovered fracture is a non-factor in Alvarez's soreness. Alvarez will be shut down for a few days before being re-evaluated. While the latest news is about as good as Alvarez and the Astros could have hoped for, there is no timetable for the resumption of his hitting progression or for his return to the active roster.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Suffers setback
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Alvarez was shut down from all activities after reporting renewed soreness in his hand while taking swings Monday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Alvarez's fractured right hand has kept him on the injured list since early May. He seemed to be closing in on a return -- potentially as soon as this weekend -- but his setback throws a wrench in the Astros' plans. The 28-year-old slugger is due to visit a specialist within the next couple of days, at which point the team will know more regarding his status and how far away he may be from activation.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Closing in on return
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Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that Alvarez (hand) has a chance to return from the 10-day injured list for next weekend's series against the Dodgers, though Brown added that is "not the most likely scenario," Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Alvarez has been ramping up his swinging recently and will report to the Astros' spring facility in Florida this week to face live pitching, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. The veteran slugger appears to be closing in on his return from the IL, with next weekend's three-game series in Los Angeles being an unlikely best-case scenario for his activation.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Resumes swinging bat
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Alvarez (hand) hit off a tee Sunday and is scheduled to do so again Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
It's the first time he's swung a bat since an MRI on his right hand in late May revealed a previously undiagnosed fracture. Alvarez has been shelved since early May and will need to go through a hitting progression and likely a rehab assignment before returning to the Astros' active roster.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: No progress
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Manager Joe Espada said Thursday Alvarez (hand) still hasn't started hitting, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Alvarez originally landed on the shelf May 3 due to inflammation in his right hand, but he was diagnosed with a fracture in late May while dealing with lingering discomfort. The fracture was labeled about 60 percent healed when discovered, and he won't return to hitting until it's fully healed. Alvarez's return timeline is likely to remain murky until he's able to ramp up his activities.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Still not hitting
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Alvarez (hand) hasn't started hitting, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported Friday.
An MRI on May 30 revealed Alvarez had a fracture in his right hand, and the Astros decided to shut him down from hitting until the injury was fully healed. Given Friday's news, the fracture hasn't healed yet. A timeline for return hasn't been established, but Houston could elect to keep him out until after its nine-game road trip -- which starts Monday -- ends.
