Astros insider raises red flag with Yordan Alvarez missing
Houston Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez has been sidelined for the 2025 season due to right-hand inflammation. He was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 5 with hopes of a quick return, but his comeback is taking longer than anticipated.
In Sunday's episode of the "Crush City Territory" podcast, writer and co-host Chandler Rome discussed Alvarez’s situation with fellow host Tyler Stafford (starting at 34:48):
“I wish I could offer some sort of substantial update. I can't, he's just hitting in the cage. Right now, I don't even think he's hitting off velocity. Team officials have seemed pretty hesitant that they don't want to send him on a rehab assignment, but he's coming up on about a month now without playing.
“I think it'd be very difficult to put him back in a major league lineup without at least sending him down to Sugar Land or Corpus or wherever's at home just to see some actual pitching. But I don't even know if he's close to that.”
Yordan Alvarez has been participating in baseball drills, hitting off a pitching machine in the batting cage. Houston Astros manager Joe Espada has not set a specific date or provided a timeline for Alvarez’s return.
Further discussing the four-time All-Star, Rome continued:
“He's just going to come back when he's ready. But the longer this goes, Tyler, I think it's getting it's growing to get a little more concerning because this is obviously something that is not just a casual injury. This is something that he may have to play through all season. I don't know. But like this is not a run-of-the-mill, typical, like minor injury.”
Yordan Alvarez expresses his frustration over being sidelined during the 2025 season
Yordan Alvarez has been a key contributor to the Houston Astros since making his debut in 2019. Reflecting on his extended absence from the 2025 season, Alvarez shared his frustration (via MLB):
“It’s been very frustrating. I didn’t think it was going to take this long. But obviously, it’s been longer than what I had anticipated.”
So far this season, Alvarez has appeared in 29 games, batting .210 with three home runs, 18 RBIs, 16 walks and a .646 OPS.