ST. PETERSBURG – Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez was out of the lineup for Friday night’s showdown with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field after twisting his right ankle running the bases in Thursday’s win over the Phillies in Philadelphia. The injury was not considered serious, manager Joe Espada said.
Alvarez, who entered Friday leading the American League in batting average (.310) while ranking second in homers (38) and RBIs (96) in his pursuit for a Triple Crown, hit in the batting cages Friday. Espada said Alvarez’s ankle was sore, and he could be available off the bench.
Alvarez stepped awkwardly on third base while going from first to third on a double by Jose Altuve in the eighth inning Thursday, but he waved off a visit from a team athletic trainer.
Friday was the first time since June 27 that Alvarez wasn’t in the Astros’ starting lineup, meaning he’d started 62 consecutive games. Espada admitted a day off might not be a bad thing for Alvarez, who has played in 145 games, which is two shy of his career high set in 2024. He has already set a career high with 637 plate appearances, which is two more than his previous high in ’24.
“We want him in there, and he feels strong and he feels really good, but a day [off] like today, especially on this turf, will be beneficial for him,” Espada said.
Since winning AL Player of the Month for July (he also won it for March/April), Alvarez’s production has plummeted. He’s slashing .268/.399/.433 with only three homers since Aug. 1, which has allowed him to be passed for the AL lead in homers by Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero (39) and in RBIs by Baltimore’s Pete Alonso (97).
Still, Alvarez remains a major force in the Houston lineup. He still leads the Major Leagues in OPS (1.017), slugging percentage (.590), on-base percentage (.427) and intentional walks (32), which is a club record.
Last year, Alvarez missed 100 games recovering from a broken bone in his right hand. With the Astros pushing for a playoff spot, Alvarez returned in late August and slashed .369/.462/.569 with three homers and nine RBIs in 19 games before spraining his left ankle when he slipped on home plate Sept. 15 against the Rangers. Houston missed out on the playoffs by one game.