Astros manager Joe Espada reveal ‘good news’ on Yordan Alvarez injury status

Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez was recently placed on the 10-day IL. The three-time All-Star is dealing with inflammation in his right hand that will keep him out of the next few games.

This is something that Alvarez has dealt with in the past. During the 2022 season, he went on the IL due to issues in both of his hands. It was also something that made him miss a few Spring Training games in 2023.

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Despite that, manager Joe Espada is not too worried about the slugger. He revealed positive news regarding the slugger that will surely allow the fanbase to breathe easy, via MLB.com.

“I think with some rest and some time, he’ll be back here -- hopefully swinging the bat by the time we get back home,” Espada said. “We got that as good news, so hopefully, we’ll get him going here in the next few days,”

Espada does not believe this will be a difficult process for Yordan Alvarez to return. He thinks that all he needs is a little bit of rest before he can return to the lineup and help his club.

Going into Wednesday, the Astros hold a 17-18 record, which is good for fourth place. They need Alvarez to return as soon as possible and in better form.

Astros manager reveals hand injury could be the reason for Yordan Alvarez's slow start

Houston Astros - Yordan Alvarez (Photo via IMAGN)

Yordan Alvarez has not looked like himself this season. Across 29 games, he is hitting .210/.306/.340 with three home runs, 18 runs batted in, resulting in an eye-popping -0.4 WAR.

That is far from the hitter Houston fans have seen over the years. Espada believes the slow start correlates with Alvarez's hand injury.

"He just did not seem to be himself," Espada said. "It probably came from the hand. Once he heals, once he gets back, I think we'll see a more aggressive at-bat and be not as cautious. I think [the hand] had something to do with it, yes."

With some rest, Espada believes Alvarez will be back on track and look more like the hitter who terrorizes opposing MLB pitchers. They will need him if they want to dig themselves out of the hole they created for themselves in the division.

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Alvarez's offensive woes come at a time when the club does not have much behind him. They no longer have Kyle Tucker or Alex Bregman to help lift the offense.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom