Houston Astros fans, we bring good news: It’s Yordan Alvarez’s 28th birthday, and he is celebrating by swinging a bat again.
Typically, this would be expected from the big slugger from Cuba, but after missing nearly 50 games with a hand fracture, this is very good news for the team.
Alvarez has been on the shelf with his injury since the beginning of May.
Good news for the team, who have still been performing well even without their power-hitting designated hitter.
The Astros sit a comfortable 6.5 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners in the AL West standings, winners in seven of their last 10 games.
In the 29 games he has been on the field for the ‘Stros, he has posted a .210 batting average with three home runs and 18 runs batted in, which can likely be chalked up to the circumstances of his injuries.
And the DH isn’t the only one that the team has had to live without, as infielder Brendan Rogers and outfielders Jacob Melton and Pedro Leon are nursing injuries to their lower extremities.
Since his debut in 2019, which saw him take home AL Rookie of the Year honors, the Cuban has established himself as one of the league’s premier power hitters, as well as shown his prowess in the clutch, as a go-ahead home run in Game 6 of the 2022 World Series from Alvarez clinched the game and the championship for Houston.
Alvarez has been named to the past three All-Star Games, which included his first career start in the Midsummer Classic last year in Arlington.
Yordan finished third in AL MVP voting in 2022, behind Shohei Ohtani and winner Aaron Judge.
