Yordan

Alvarez

Espada’s comments came shortly after Astros general manager Dana Brown reaffirmed that Alvarez will be ready for Opening Day as he continues to recover from a significant high ankle sprain that he suffered in late September. Houston’s skipper added that the decision to limit Alvarez from playing the field is strictly for health purposes. The Astros would like to keep the 28-year-old middle-of-the-order force in their lineup as often as possible after a hand fracture limited him to just 48 games this past season. It’s a positive development for fantasy purposes as eliminating the wear and tear of playing left field should help prevent knee issues that have bothered him in recent years.

Alvarez is expected to be ready to go for the start of spring training after suffering an ankle injury in the middle of September that cost him the rest of the season. The 28-year-old also missed significant time with a broken hand, but when healthy, there aren’t many better offensive players in the sport.

If the Astros miraculously find a way to make the playoffs, it’s possible that we could see the 28-year-old slugger at some point in October, but that looks like an extreme longshot at this point. Alvarez has been shelved since September 16 due to a severe ankle sprain.

It’s starting to feel like a real long shot that Alvarez is ready to roll when the playoffs get underway next week, assuming the Astros manage to qualify. The 28-year-old slugger is going to need some extended time to ramp-up as he recovers from a serious left ankle sprain which makes it unlikely he’s cleared to return anytime soon.

Alvarez told reporters Sunday that he’s progressing well but still needs to wait for the inflammation in his left ankle to subside before he’s cleared to return. It seems highly unlikely he’ll return before the regular season concludes. There’s an outside chance he’s ready for the outset of the postseason, should the Astros manage to win the AL West or hang onto a Wild Card playoff berth.

The move doesn’t come as a surprise since Astros manager Joe Espada noted earlier in the week that Alvarez was dealing with a “significant” left ankle sprain. It remains unclear just how long the Astros expect him to be shelved for and whether he’ll be available for the postseason. Isaac Paredes was activated from the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move on Friday.

Espada added that Alvarez is going to be “out for a while” after suffering a serious ankle injury during Monday’s game against the Rangers when he stepped awkwardly on home plate. However, there’s been no indication from the club that they plan to place him on the injured list. The 28-year-old middle-of-the-order force was on an absolute tear since returning from the injured list back on August 26, batting .369 (24-for-65) with three homers and nine RBI over 19 contests during that span. His absence for the final two weeks of the regular season is a significant loss for the Astros and fantasy managers as well. It’s unclear at this juncture whether he has any real shot of returning for the postseason, should Houston wind up qualifying.

Alvarez will undergo additional imaging to determine the severity of the injury following his removal from Monday’s contest after stepping awkwardly on home plate in the opening frame. He left the clubhouse in a walking boot and on crutches. An update should come before Tuesday’s contest, but fantasy managers should brace for the possibility of an extended absence. It’s a potentially devastating loss for the Astros as they attempt to hang onto the final AL Wild Card playoff spot over the final two weeks of the season.

Not good. It’s a potential devastating development as Alvarez was barely able to put any weight on his left leg after stepping awkwardly on home plate after blowing through a stop sign at third base during the opening frame of Monday’s contest. Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters afterwards that Alvarez, who left the clubhouse in a walking boot and on crutches, will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. An update should come before Tuesday’s contest, but fantasy managers should brace for the possibility of an extended absence.

Alvarez clobbered a solo shot off Jacob deGrom to give the Astros a 2-0 lead. He drove in his second run of the game and 27th of the season with a single in the eighth. Obviously Alvarez’s numbers have been down entirely because of his injury, but he’s now slashing a very solid .277/.375/.453 in his 40 games and 137 at-bats.