Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez is not joining the team in Florida for the opening of a big series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday. Instead, the Astros' big bat is heading back to Houston to have a sore neck examined.Chandler Rome@Chandler_RomeYordan Alvarez is experiencing neck discomfort. The Astros sent him back to Houston to get examined. It’s unclear if he’ll need a stint on the injured list or if he’ll be available during this series in Tampa.9015Yordan Alvarez is experiencing neck discomfort. The Astros sent him back to Houston to get examined. It’s unclear if he’ll need a stint on the injured list or if he’ll be available during this series in Tampa.It's something that Alvarez has reportedly been dealing with for much of the regular season.Chandler Rome@Chandler_RomeYordan Alvarez has apparently been battling neck pain for the last week or so, Dusty Baker said.144Yordan Alvarez has apparently been battling neck pain for the last week or so, Dusty Baker said.News that Yordan Alvarez has been dealing with neck pain for some time caught Houston Astros fans by surprise. The designated hitter smacked two home runs as part of a six-RBI weekend as Houston swept the Atlanta Braves in Georgia over the weekend.He told MLB.com of his home run off AJ Minter on Sunday, which turned a prospective loss into a victory at Truist Park:"Honestly, I went up there without a plan. When the count got to 3-2, I knew he was going to throw a pitch in the zone. Obviously, [Jose] Abreu is behind me and he wasn't going to want to face him in that situation. I calmed myself down a little bit there and got the pitch."🏆 2X WS Champ Cock 🏆@astros_dude@Chandler_Rome Bro gave himself whiplash admiring his bombs this weekend.421@Chandler_Rome Bro gave himself whiplash admiring his bombs this weekend.⚾️🔥🏆🏆2X World Series Champ Juni@vedder2929@Chandler_Rome Probably from carrying the team in Atlanta.27@Chandler_Rome Probably from carrying the team in Atlanta.Danny Darwin@biardker27@Chandler_Rome Carrying 7 other guys in the lineup is a strain5@Chandler_Rome Carrying 7 other guys in the lineup is a strainYordan Alvarez is hitting .253 with six homers and 27 RBI entering Monday. His bat will be missed as the Houston Astros head to Tampa Bay to take on the major-league leading Rays for a three-game series. Tampa Bay currently leads the majors with a 19-3 record, while Houston is 12-10 so far in 2023.Many fans are hoping that the sore neck is just being caused by a routine reason, and that Alvarez may still join the team at Tropicana Field before the series comes to a close.Rational Astros Guy@LASTrosfanguy@Chandler_Rome Hopefully just sleep wrong@Chandler_Rome Hopefully just sleep wrongAstros Monke🦍🍊 ✞🐍@AstrosMonke@Chandler_Rome It’s gotta be straining on the neck to carry the weight of his massive cahones8@Chandler_Rome It’s gotta be straining on the neck to carry the weight of his massive cahonesKevin@AstrosForLife17@JuliaMorales Get that man a decent pillow, road trips are not good for the body.20@JuliaMorales Get that man a decent pillow, road trips are not good for the body.The news of Yordan Alvarez's neck is a dark cloud blocking out the sunshine of the Houston Astros' recent 7-3 run that has the defending 2022 World Series champions just 2.5 games behind the American League West-leading Texas Rangers.Will Young@Willow_Wispz@Chandler_Rome That gives me discomfort3@Chandler_Rome That gives me discomfortAstrosLA@AstrosLOUISIANA@Chandler_Rome Praying for a healthy examination4@Chandler_Rome Praying for a healthy examinationJonathan Marz@VoltageJM@Chandler_Rome Chandler… this is the worst news. Why. Why us@Chandler_Rome Chandler… this is the worst news. Why. Why usAt least one Houston fan wishes that they could take a day or two off due to a sore neck. Don't blame Alvarez because you chose your job poorly.DeAnna Bryant@deannabryant210@Chandler_Rome I experience some type of "discomfort" every single day. Wish I could go in an injury list and take some time off my job. I pulled something in my back sleeping the other day. 🤷‍♀️@Chandler_Rome I experience some type of "discomfort" every single day. Wish I could go in an injury list and take some time off my job. I pulled something in my back sleeping the other day. 🤷‍♀️Yordan Alvarez swings a big bat for the Houston AstrosYordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros hits a two-run home runAlvarez was the 2019 American League Rookie of the Year, and finished third in the AL Most Valuable Player voting last season. In five MLB seasons, he is hitting .294 with 104 home runs and 310 RBI, all with the Astros.