For the Houston Astros to be the team they’re looking to be in the postseason, they’ll likely need Yordan Alvarez in the lineup.
However, Alvarez, who was ramping up and expected to face live pitching, has faced a setback from his hand fracture.
Astros’ higher-ups didn’t make it sound like it was promising, with a new development coming out of Houston. According to The Athletic, Alvarez was scheduled to see a hand specialist on Wednesday.
“Alvarez is scheduled to see a hand specialist Wednesday, and, according to Brown, the Astros hope to know more information within the next 48 hours. Alvarez will receive more imaging on his hand, Brown said — an important declaration given the trajectory of this entire saga,” they wrote.
When discussing the situation, Astros general manager Dana Brown said it’s too early to determine if Alvarez needs surgery. He later added that it’s tough for them to deal with this, but that most importantly, they have to get him healthy.
“It’s too early to tell right now. I hope not. We’ll know after he sees the specialist.”
“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” Brown said. “At the end of the day, his health is the most important thing here. We’ll let him take the time that he needs to get completely healed.”
MORE: Astros announce positive Yordan Alvarez news after seeing specialist
As Brown noted, getting Alvarez healthy has to be priority No. 1. The Astros have been fortunate to have him in their lineup for much of the past few years, as he’s typically been on the field outside of a few small instances.
He’s only appeared in 29 games this year and didn’t look like himself. However, he hit .308 a year ago with 86 RBIs and 35 home runs. He’s as good as they get, and the last thing they want is for him to have a long-term injury.
