ASTROS NEWS

Why it's officially time to cover Astros' Yordan Alvarez in Bubble Wrap until postseason

Yordan Alvarez Astros
Now's the time to be cautious with the Astros slugger. Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images.
After the off-season from hell, what do the Astros look like on the field in 2020?

The Houston Astros received another scare from Yordan Alvarez on Tuesday night when he had to eventually leave the game with left ankle discomfort after rolling his ankle in the first inning.



Fortunately for Houston, the X-Rays came back negative and Yordan should be okay. But this is just the latest scare with Alvarez. Let's put this in perspective, he seems to deal with a lot of injuries. He's already had surgery on both knees, he's dealt with hand discomfort in both hands, depending on who you talk to, which could require surgery in the offseason if he is in fact dealing with a Hamate bone injury. And let's not forget the concussion symptoms earlier in the season he suffered after crashing into Jeremy Pena.

Yordan also abruptly had to leave a game against the Braves on Aug. 19 that required him being hospitalized with shortness of breath. Now, with the playoffs right around the corner, Yordan is dealing with an ankle injury. The magic number for the Astros is at 1 now, meaning they lock up the top seed in the AL with one more win and seven games to play.

With that being the case, Yordan doesn't need to play anymore in the regular season. Yordan proved against the Yankees this summer that he could come back from extended time off (hand discomfort) and not miss a beat. (He went 2-4 with a double, home run, and 3 RBI)

It's all about the postseason for this Astros team, so let's not take any chances with Yordan Alvarez. Rest him until the postseason and give the team their best possible chance to bring home another World Series.

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Welcome to Houston, Nick! Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

Nick Chubb didn’t expect to be a Houston Texan. At least, not until he got the call on a quiet Saturday at home and was on a flight the next day. It happened fast — too fast, even, for the four-time Pro Bowler to fully process what it all meant. But now that he’s here, it’s clear this wasn’t a random landing spot. This was a calculated leap, one Chubb had been quietly considering from afar.

The reasons he chose Houston speak volumes not only about where Chubb is in his own career, but where the Texans are as a franchise.

For one, Chubb saw what the rest of the league saw the last two seasons: a young team turning the corner. He admired the Texans from a distance — the culture shift under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the explosive rise of C.J. Stroud, and the physical tone set by players like Joe Mixon. That identity clicked with Chubb. He’d been a fan of Ryans for years, and once he got in the building, everything aligned.

“I came here and saw a bunch of guys who like to work and not talk,” Chubb said. “And I realized I'm a perfect fit.”

As for his health, Chubb isn’t running from the injuries that cost him parts of the past two seasons, he’s owning them. But now, he says, they’re behind him. After a full offseason of training the way he always has — hitting his speed and strength benchmarks — Chubb says he’s feeling the best he has in years. He’s quick to remind people that bouncing back from major injuries, especially the one he suffered in 2023, is rarely a one-year journey. It takes time. He’s given it time.

Then there’s his fit with Mixon. The two aren’t just stylistic complements, they go way back. Same recruiting class, same reputation for running hard, same respect for each other’s games. Chubb remembers dreading matchups against the Bengals in Cleveland, worrying Mixon would take over the game. Now, he sees the opportunity in pairing up. “It’ll be us kinda doing that back-to-back against other defenses,” he said.

He’s also well aware of what C.J. Stroud brings to the table. Chubb watched Stroud nearly dismantle Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Then he saw it again, up close, when Stroud lit up the Browns in the postseason. “He torched us again,” Chubb said. Now, he gets to run alongside him, not against him.

Stroud made a point to welcome Chubb, exchanging numbers and offering support. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s the kind of leadership that helped sell Chubb on the Texans as more than just a good football fit — it’s a good locker room fit, too.

It appears the decision to come to Houston wasn’t part of some master plan. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Chubb is a player with a no-nonsense work ethic, recovering from adversity, looking to write the next chapter of a career that’s far from over. And the Texans? They’re a team on the rise, built around guys who want to do the same.

You can watch the full interview in the video below.

And for those wondering how Joe Mixon feels about Nick Chubb, check out this video from last season. Let's just say he's a fan.


*ChatGPT assisted.

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