The wait is over, Alvarez will make his debut
The Astros are calling up Yordan Alvarez
Jun 8, 2019, 8:55 pm
The wait is over, Alvarez will make his debut
Jordan Alvarez. Getty Images
After a highly anticipated start to the season, the move is finally happening: Yordan Alvarez is coming to the show. The transaction is expected to take place ahead of tomorrow's series finale with Baltimore here in Houston. It's not yet clear when Alvarez will make his MLB debut. The news was first reported by Jake Kaplan of the Athletic:
The Astros are calling up Yordan Alvarez from Triple A ahead of tomorrow's game, sources tell The Athletic.
— Jake Kaplan (@jakemkaplan) June 9, 2019
Alvarez has been absolutely tearing it up at the AAA level for the Round Rock Express, leading the minors in home runs (23) and RBIs (71) over 56 games so far this season. He's currently hitting at a .343 average and 1.184 OPS. I appears the possible corresponding move of Lance McCullers Jr. to the 60-Day IL will make the roster spot open:
The Astros can transfer Lance McCullers Jr. to the 60-day IL to make room for Yordan Alvarez on the 40-man roster.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) June 9, 2019
This move comes while the Astros continue to play without three of their biggest offensive weapons with George Springer, Carlos Correa, and 2017 MVP Jose Altuve all sidelined with injuries on the IL.
Alvarez will likely assume the DH position though could play in the outfield if needed. Stay tuned to tomorrow's Astros daily report to see if Alvarez makes his debut on Sunday.
It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
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