Astros’ Yordan Alvarez Faces Uncertain Future After Mysterious Hand Inflammation Lands Him on Injured List

Of course, baseball’s a game of chess, and Houston responded swiftly by calling up catcher César Salazar from their Triple-A affiliate in Sugar Land to fill the roster spot. You have to admire the seamless roster juggling that keeps the club competitive, but let’s face it – losing a guy like Alvarez, even if temporarily, is a big hit.

Now, peeking at Alvarez’s numbers this season, he’s been a shadow of his usual self, hitting just .210 with a modest .306 on-base percentage, knocking out three homers, and tallying 18 RBIs in 29 games. That’s a stark contrast to his blockbuster 2024 campaign, where he lit up the league with a .308 average, .392 on-base, 35 homers, and 86 RBIs over 147 games, not to mention snagging his third All-Star nod and finishing ninth in the AL MVP race. His elite OPS? A staggering .959 or better for the past three seasons, ranking fourth in the American League last year — that’s the kind of consistency that sets stars apart.

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