One of the biggest issues for the Houston Astros in 2025 has been their lack of offense from the left side of the plate. A reason for such an issue has been the injury to Yordan Alvarez, who has missed the last 79 games for the Astros.
But, according to Astros general manager Dana Brown, during an appearance on The Sean Salisbury Show, he revealed an encouraging update on Alvarez's return from the injured list.
"He could be back with the big club as soon as the middle of August," Brown said. "He's starting to hit right now. We're building up the intensity to get him going. Things are going well right now. ... He's making a lot of progress."
This update from Brown is a very encouraging one, especially since there's a much clearer picture for a return date. While Alvarez could miss past the middle of August, having a window open at that point is great news for the Astros and Alvarez.
After missing the last few months, getting his bat back in the lineup would be huge. Even though he struggled this season in his first 29 games, hitting just .210 with a .646 OPS, Alvarez would be a great presence in the lineup for Houston.
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Between this injury update, signifying Alvarez could return in the middle of August, and that his rehab is going well, and Jeremy Pena is also expected to be back soon, the Astros are finally seeing their injured players get healthy.
Houston, for at least one moment, had 18 players on the injured list. But, despite that, they've remained atop the AL West and are fighting for the top spot in baseball overall.
Getting a player back who has a career .959 OPS would be a massive boost to the offense. Alvarez has been one of the best sluggers in baseball since his debut in 2019, and if he can get back to form once he's back, he'd be a huge addition to the Astros' lineup.
It's been an impressive season for Houston, especially despite the absence of Alvarez for the majority of it. This update from Brown is great news for Houston, especially if the trade deadline isn't fruitful for the Astros in adding more offensive firepower.
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