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How latest injury update on Yordan Alvarez impacts Houston Astros moving forward
Jun 14, 2023, 12:21 pm
Yordan Alvarez could miss a month. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.
More bad news for the Astros, Yordan Alvarez
When it comes to injuries, the Houston Astros have already dealt with a boatload of them so far this season. Lance McCullers has yet to pitch for the team and suffered a setback that has him shutdown currently. Luis Garcia is out for the year (Tommy John) and Jose Urquidy is still working his way back from shoulder discomfort.
The offense was without Jose Altuve for a big chunk of the year, and Michael Brantley's shoulder has kept him from appearing so far this season. And somehow the Astros are sitting at 38-29, still in striking distance of first place in the division. However, things just got tougher for the 'Stros as Yordan Alvarez's oblique injury could keep him out for a month.
Houston GM Dana Brown joined the Astros flagship station on Wednesday and said it could be four weeks before Alvarez is ready to return to game action.
Speaking this morning on @SportsTalk790, Dana Brown made it sound like Yordan Alvarez is at least three weeks away from any sort of baseball activities. https://t.co/MKBvrqT3Ap
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) June 14, 2023
If Yordan is feeling better in three weeks, it could take him a week or so to ramp up and get back to the field. This is very disappointing news for the team, as the offense has been the weak link this season, despite so many injuries to the pitching staff.
The Astros are currently 18th in OPS (.717) and 1st in team ERA (3.28). Losing Yordan for a month is a big blow to this team. Hopefully the bats can continue to improve as the team awaits the return of Yordan and possibly, at some point, Michael Brantley.
The Astros need to make some hay in June against some lesser teams in the National League. They are currently playing the Nationals, with the Reds and Mets coming to Minute Maid next. All three teams are under .500.
The Astros finish off the month against the Dodgers (38-29) and the bottom dwelling Cardinals (27-41). Then the Astros head to Arlington for a critical four game series against the Texas Rangers. Houston is currently 3 1/2 games behind the Rangers.
If the Astros are unable to make up some ground on the Rangers over the next few weeks, a series loss could be a serious blow to the Astros' chances of winning the AL West.
Hopefully, with Altuve in the fold and Jose Abreu starting to come to life, the Astros can stay afloat as they wait on the return of slugger Yordan Alvarez.
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Former Astros manager Dusty Baker made an appearance last week on a podcast titled The Show With Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman.
One of the things Baker discussed was his limited power in the Astros organization. Dusty spoke about “battles with the front office” and not being able to choose his staff members.
Baker made a point of saying that he basically inherited AJ Hinch's staff, outside one person. And he wished he had more “freedom” in selecting the staff.
To be fair, his comments aren't that surprising. The 'Stros had experienced a lot of success, and wanted to keep as much continuity as possible after firing their GM and manager.
But what we find most interesting about these comments is speculating which staff members Baker would have replaced if given the authority to do so.
The first name that crossed our minds was Joe Espada. Especially since we now know that Espada is the staff member that eventually replaced Dusty.
We also wondered if Baker wasn't happy with the hitting coaches. We know Dusty was old school with his approach to the game. Maybe he wasn't satisfied with how frequently his players swung at the first pitch, and weren't able to work deep counts.
Something that seems to have increased since Baker's departure. Just think how many times Jose Altuve would pop up the first pitch and Yordan Alvarez would be up to bat immediately. Even Alex Bregman's walk rate dropped significantly from last year to this year. Breggy walked 92 times in 2023, compared to just 44 in 2024. Astros GM Dana Brown spoke after the playoff loss to the Tigers about the need to work deeper counts in order to have more competitive at-bats next season.
Plus, if Altuve is going to continue to swing early and often, would it benefit the Astros to drop him down to second in the lineup? Despite stealing 20 bags last year, Altuve will be turning 35 years old in May. At some point, the team is going to rely more on his power hitting than his speed as he continues to age.
The question is, what other options do the Astros have on the roster to leadoff? Kyle Tucker could be a possibility, he has a nice combination of speed and power, and he's almost 7 years younger than 'Tuve.
Or perhaps Brown could find a more prototypical leadoff hitter on the trade market. Someone that wouldn't break the bank, but could get on base at a high clip.
Don't miss the video above for the full in-depth discussion!
*Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcasts. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and I discuss varied Astros topics. The post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon. Find all via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.