The Houston Astros had been slowly working towards their superstar slugger, Yordan Alvarez, returning to the MLB lineup. They sent him to West Palm Beach for more work, and even had the door open for a return in the next week.
But, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, the Astros got some horrible news on Alvarez. “Yordan Alvarez suffered a setback in West Palm Beach, Dana Brown said,” reported Rome. “He reported hand soreness after taking some swings on Monday and has been shut down.”
Yordan Alvarez suffered a setback in West Palm Beach, Dana Brown said. He reported hand soreness after taking some swings on Monday and has been shut down. Alvarez will see a specialist in the next 48 hours, after which the Astros hope to know more.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 1, 2025
It’s about the worst possible news for the Astros after sending Alvarez to West Palm Beach for more work. From being close to a return, to a setback, which is shutting him down for the time being.
As Rome reports, Alvarez is heading to a specialist in the next 48 hours and will hopefully get a clearer idea of where he stands with his injury. Alveraz is now slated to miss more time, and the Astros will have to consider looking elsewhere for help offensively.
In his career, Alvarez has been one of baseball’s best sluggers. He’s a three-time All-Star and helped lead the Astros to the 2022 World Series. From 2021 to 2024, Alvarez hit at least 30 home runs each year.
But this season, before his injury, Alvarez had been struggling. He had 21 hits, seven runs scored, four doubles, three home runs, 18 RBIs, 16 walks, and 21 strikeouts in 100 at-bats over 29 games.
Alvarez has a .646 OPS on the year, more than .200 points lower than his previous career low. He also has an 82 OPS+, by far the lowest of his career. While he’s struggled this season, the Astros could still use his services.
This update from Rome and Brown is a horrible update for the Astros. Despite sitting atop the AL West, they also recently lost Jeremy Pena with fractured ribs.
It’s been a rough past week for Astros injuries, and this Alvarez setback is another hit to the Astros’ roster. He will now reset his rehab and further extend his time missed this season.
