The Houston Astros’ underperforming lineup has taken another hit.
Yordan Alvarez was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday with inflammation in his right hand, the team announced prior to its 5-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. This comes after the three-time All-Star missed two games last weekend against the Chicago White Sox.
In a corresponding move, Houston recalled catcher Cesar Salazar from Triple-A Sugar Land.
It’s another frustrating blow for the Astros, whose new-look lineup has struggled to produce. Houston entered Tuesday ranked 19th in MLB in runs (133), 21st in home runs (29) and 23rd in slugging percentage (.367).
As such, the defending AL West champions are off to a suspect start at 17-17.
Sore Hand Possible Reason for Yordan Alvarez’s Cool Start, Joe Espada Says
Alvarez certainly hasn’t been himself this season. In fact, the Houston slugger is off to perhaps the worst start of his seven-year career. He’s hitting just .210 in 100 at-bats with three homers and 18 RBI. His .646 OPS is more than 300 points below his career mark of .959.
This follows a year in which he batted .308 with a .392 on-base percentage, 35 homers and 86 RBI.
Houston manager Joe Espada said Alvarez had dealt with soreness in his hand “for a few days,” but he stopped short of
attributing Alvarez’s struggles solely to health.
“Maybe (his slow start) has something to do with the hand,” Espada said via MLB.com. “I’m not going to speak for Yordan. I just know that he hasn’t been the guy, right?
“Kansas City, he hits the ball 400-something feet and then doesn’t feel comfortable. We want to make sure he feels comfortable and he’s back 100% and we can keep him in the lineup for the long run.”
Notably, this is not a first-time issue for Alvarez, 27. In 2022, he landed on the IL due to right hand inflammation and missed 11 games. He also missed the start of spring training in 2023 to manage soreness in his left hand.
Astros Offseason Moves Yet to Pay Off
The Astros remade their lineup over the offseason, trading outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs and watching third baseman Alex Bregman leave in free agency for the Boston Red Sox.
While Tucker (30 RBI, .953 OPS) and Bregman (27 RBI, .979 OPS) are off to hot starts with their new clubs, Houston’s main newcomers are still finding their way.
First baseman Christian Walker, who signed a three-year, $60 million deal, is hitting just .210 with four homers. Third baseman Isaac Paredes, whom Houston got in return for Tucker, has a respectable .752 OPS but just eight extra-base hits.
Also off to a slow start is Jose Altuve (.681 OPS), who is juggling a position change to left field.
In the meantime, the Astros will need to make do without Alvarez.
“We gotta get him right, and I think with a few more days of rest, I think it will benefit him and hopefully we get him back by the homestand,” Espada said via MLB.com. “He’s flying back to Houston today to see the doctors and get some imaging and make sure that we’re on the right track.”
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