Astros injury update: Yordan Alvarez's rehab assignment delayed
Yordan Alvarez #44 of Houston Astros swings against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fourth inning in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on June 5, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mark Blinch/Getty Images
Houston Astros fans should feel optimistic about the injury outlook for star slugger Yordan Alvarez given recent developments, though it appears his return to the MLB club might have hit a minor hiccup.
The Astros announced earlier this week that Alvarez and starting pitcher Jose Urquidy—who has not pitched since April 30 due to right shoulder soreness—would begin rehab assignments with Triple-A Sugar Land this weekend. However, the team revealed Friday afternoon that the start of Alvarez's rehab stint will be delayed.
Fortunately for Houston, Alvarez's latest setback does not seem like it will be an extended one. The Astros designated illness, not an injury-related issue, as the cause for the two-time All-Star's absence on Friday. The team did not provide any further information, but assuming Alvarez isn't out for more than a couple games, his return to the big-league club shouldn't be delayed significantly.
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Alvarez suffered a right oblique strain in early June, as he felt soreness prior to a game against the Toronto Blue Jays and exited the contest after aggravating the issue in the first inning. He has a .277/.388/.589 slash line with 17 home runs, 55 RBI and 41 runs scored in 57 games, and still made the All-Star Game despite missing a month of the season. Illustrating Alvarez's impact on the the team's success, the Astros have a 33-24 record in the games he's played in this season. Without Alvarez, they're just 17-17 and hardly resemble a top World Series contender.
Source: Chron
