Latest news with #YordanAlvarez
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Astros predicted to trade for Baltimore Orioles All-Star
The Houston Astros will be in the market for upgrades at the trade deadline. At 56-40, one of the best teams in all of baseball, a solid deadline could be enough to put them over the top. A player who has been tagged recently as a possible target for the Astros is Baltimore Orioles outfielder Ryan O'Hearn. Robert Murray of FanSided made the case for O'Hearn to land in Houston. ' O'Hearn would be a fit in the outfield in Houston and add another solid bat to the lineup while not sacrificing the farm system to do so,' Murray wrote. O'Hearn is in the midst of a career year for a struggling Orioles team. O'Hearn was named to his first career All-Star appearance this season. On the year, he is hitting .286 with 11 home runs and a .840 OPS. Since joining Baltimore in 2023, O'Hearn has established himself as a solid power bat, boasting an OPS+ of 126 since joining the Orioles. Should the Astros acquire him, he would join a lineup that has already gotten solid production out of Jose Altuve, Issac Paredes, Jeremy Penn, and rookie Cam Smith. Additionally, Yordan Alvarez is set to return sooner rather than later. He along with O'Hearn joining the Astros' lineup would give them one of the best lineups in all of Major League Baseball.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Astros get encouraging news on All-Star slugger
The Houston Astros have been one of Major League Baseball's best offenses this season, and it could get even better sooner rather than later. Prior to Sunday's matchup with the Texas Rangers, Astros GM Dana Brown provided an update on All-Star slugger Yordan Alvarez, who has been out since early-May with a hand fracture. Per Chandler Rome of The Athletic, Alvarez will be re-evaluated later this week. From there, the team will determine the next steps. 'Once that's over, the doctor could potentially clear him to start swinging a bat,' Brown said, per Rome. Houston has survived missing one of their top-flight power hitters thanks to strong campaigns from Jeremy Pena, Isaac Paredes, Jose Altuve, and rookie Cam Smith, adding Alvarez will only make the lineup even deeper. Prior to the injury, Alvarez had struggled at the plate, batting just .210 with 3 home runs and a .646 OPS. The hope is that now, with Alvarez healthy, he can get back to his All-Star form.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Yordan Alvarez draws concerning surgery admission from Astros GM
The post Yordan Alvarez draws concerning surgery admission from Astros GM appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Astros hoped that the return of Yordan Alvarez from injury would mark a turning point. Instead, a fresh setback has clouded those plans. During a recent batting session, Alvarez felt renewed soreness in his previously fractured right hand. The team immediately shut down his rehab. Advertisement Out since May 2, Yordan Alvarez had worked his way toward live hitting. But pain returned in the same fourth metacarpal that had sidelined him earlier. He's now set to see a hand specialist. The team expects answers in the coming days. Surgery remains possible, but no decision has been made yet, according to general manager Dana Brown. 'It's too early to tell right now. I hope not. We'll know after he sees the specialist.' This delay goes beyond medical concerns; it affects the lineup. Alvarez is Houston's top left-handed bat. Without him, the offense has lacked balance and power. Internal replacements haven't filled the gap. Alvarez struggled early in the season, slashing .210/.306/.340 with three home runs in 28 games. Still, his upside remains huge. Coaches felt encouraged by his recent progress. He had begun dry swings and light hitting before pain forced another pause. Advertisement Now, the Astros are weighing trade options. With the July 31 deadline approaching, the team is eyeing left-handed hitters. Depending solely on Alvarez feels risky if the injury lingers. Despite this latest setback, team leaders remain hopeful. General Manager Dana Brown said, 'It's a tough pill to swallow, but his health is the most important thing. We're not going to force anything.' Yordan Alvarez remains committed to the Astros despite the injury. Manager Joe Espada added, 'He's doing everything in his power to get back. We've just got to give it time.' The Astros still lead the American League West, but the margin is thin. Their next steps will depend on Alvarez's status. In the meantime, the front office must prepare for more time without its premier slugger. The coming days could shape both his return and the team's trade strategy. Can Houston stay on top without their star slugger? Related: Victor Caratini grand slam vs. Rockies dazzles Astros fans Related: Yordan Alvarez's injury setback will concern Astros fans
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Astros provide important Yordan Alvarez injury update
The post Astros provide important Yordan Alvarez injury update appeared first on ClutchPoints. It's been a strong season thus far in 2025 for the Houston Astros, who currently sit at 52-34 ahead of Thursday's road game vs the Colorado Rockies. The Astros have overcome a rough start to the season and now look poised to compete for yet another World Series championship to add to their trophy room. Advertisement Recently, Astros star Yordan Alvarez suffered another setback in trying to return from his broken hand injury that has kept him out this season. The team has since clarified exactly what process Alvarez has undergone in response to the setback, per Brian McTaggart on X, formerly Twitter. 'Yordan Alvarez and the Astros received some encouraging news from a hand specialist that examined Alvarez' sore right hand on Wednesday,' the Astros said in a statement. 'As part of the examination, additional imaging was done on his right hand, which revealed that the main cause of his current pain is due to inflammation. The specialist also indicated that at some point in the recovery process, the small fracture that had been sustained is now a non-factor in the discomfort that Alvarez is currently experiencing.' The statement also noted that Alvarez had received two injections in his hand and will refrain from hand-related activity in the coming days. 'The specialist also determined that Alvarez's hand had made noticeable progress when compared to imaging done over the last several weeks,' per the statement. Advertisement Overall, it was a positive update for the outfielder, who played a major role in the Astros' most recent championship, which occurred in 2022 against the Philadelphia Phillies. Alvarez hasn't appeared in a game this season since May 2nd against the Chicago White Sox. In any case, the Astros and Rockies are slated to get things underway at 3:10 PM ET on Thursday from Colorado. Up next for Houston will be a road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Related: Astros outfielder takes step toward injury return Related: 3 Astros prospects who must be untouchable in trade talks
New York Times
07-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The five key statistics that have kept the Houston Astros' offense afloat in 2025
HOUSTON — On Opening Day, Astros manager Joe Espada wrote a lineup with leadoff hitter Jose Altuve and cleanup man Christian Walker. Yordan Alvarez hit second and Yainer Diaz slotted fifth. It was the sort of setup that should've portended prolific offense. Alvarez has appeared in 29 of the Astros' first 90 games. Walker and Diaz entered Sunday's series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers sporting a sub-90 OPS+. In late April, Altuve asked out of the leadoff spot in favor of flourishing shortstop Jeremy Peña. Advertisement Houston has weathered that injury and ineffectiveness to still possess baseball's eighth-highest OPS. Slugging remains an issue — again, Alvarez hasn't played in a game since May 2 — but the Astros have otherwise put together a top-flight offense. No other team in the sport has a higher batting average and only six boast a higher on-base percentage. Alvarez's eventual return can cure some of what ails the Astros. So can adding balance during the upcoming trade deadline. But, after 90 games, here are the five numbers that have kept Houston's offense afloat. The Astros awoke on Sunday sporting the platoon advantage in 28.4 percent of their plate appearances. Every other lineup in the sport had it at least 37.5 percent of the time. The major-league average is 54.2 percent, a number the Astros won't reach even if they acquire a left-handed bat at the trade deadline and welcome Alvarez back to their lineup. Including the Astros, only five offenses have taken fewer than 50 percent of their plate appearances with a platoon advantage. Three of them — the Giants, Royals and Angels — all awoke on Sunday with an OPS+ at least four points below league average. Houston entered its series finale against the Dodgers with a 106 OPS+, neutralizing what is supposed to be a drastic disadvantage. Thirty-two right-handed batters entered Sunday with at least a .770 OPS against right-handed pitching. The Astros employ four of them. No other team has more than three. Altuve and Isaac Paredes' success against right-handed pitching is part of their career-long trends. Meyers, meanwhile, had a .621 OPS and a 24.5 percent strikeout rate against righties across the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Peña posted a .659 OPS against right-handers during that same timeframe. Advertisement Just seven right-handed hitters entered Sunday with a higher OPS against right-handed pitching than Peña's .854 mark. Meyers' .782 OPS against righties is another marked improvement amid his breakout season, one that is helping Houston's unbalanced lineup to thrive. The number itself inspires little confidence, but consider that Houston finished last season with a minus-10 baserunning run value. Only the Angels, Blue Jays and Yankees were worse. Last year, the Yankees and Astros took an extra base on hits less than any team in the sport. The Yankees are authoring a repeat performance this season. Houston, however, entered Sunday advancing an extra base 43 percent of the time: a seven percent increase from last year. Peña and Meyers' breakthroughs can't be overstated — they're the two fastest players on the team — but the Astros have made a concerted effort to run the bases with more aggression. Espada preached it in spring training, perhaps cognizant of the power he lost after the team traded Kyle Tucker and allowed Alex Bregman to sign with the Red Sox. Espada added third-base coach Tony Perezchica to his staff, in part, to improve the team's baserunning. Last season, Perezchica oversaw an Arizona Diamondbacks team that finished with a 17 baserunning run value. Houston does not have the personnel to replicate that performance, but progress with Perezchica is palpable. That the Astros have only made 19 outs on the bases — the third fewest in the sport — demonstrates their aggression isn't always reckless, either. Lineups that are either shorthanded or short on talent can still succeed by following one of baseball's most accurate axioms: good things can happen when you put the ball in play. The Astros adopted it as a hallmark after the 2016 season and continue to prioritize contact even as their rosters evolve. Advertisement No team in baseball has a higher contact rate on pitches inside the strike zone than Houston's. The Astros swing at 68 percent of the pitches they see in the strike zone — the fifth highest in the sport — accentuating how sound their decision-making can be. A 29.6 percent chase rate can contradict that statement. Only three teams have a higher one. View both numbers and it becomes clear how crucial it is for Houston to stay inside the strike zone. The problem? The Astros are seeing the third-fewest in-zone pitches in baseball, an ode from opponents that are aware of Houston's ability to put them in play. Houston's lineup hammers fastballs, a fact opponents are beginning to respect. No offense in baseball has a higher batting average against all fastballs — four-seamers, two-seamers and cutters — than the Astros' .291 mark. As a result, Houston's lineup is seeing just 53.6 percent fastballs. Only five teams are seeing fewer. Fewer fastballs means a higher percentage of secondary pitches and spin, patterns that can become easy to predict, but still difficult to hit. The Astros entered Sunday seeing breaking balls 34.1 percent of the time. Just three teams see spin more often — the Angels, Phillies and Diamondbacks — but none of them have been as successful handling the secondary stuff. The Angels, for example, are hitting .191 against the major-league high 34.4 percent of breaking balls they see. The Astros' .232 batting average against breaking balls is the eighth highest in baseball, but only one team ahead of them — the Dodgers — is seeing spin at higher than a 31.9 percent clip. Remember, Houston is seeing it 34.1 percent of the time. Unsurprisingly, teams are attacking the Astros' free-swingers and fledgling players with spin. Meyers, Yainer Diaz and Cam Smith all entered Sunday seeing at least 35 percent breaking balls. Meyers, who hit .163 against spin last season, has increased his average to .223. Smith has the same batting average, which is more than adequate for a rookie. Diaz's has dropped from .293 last season to .207 through the first 89 games of this one, but his backup is helping to pick up the slack. Victor Caratini crushed a sweeper for a grand slam during Friday's 18-1 destruction of the Dodgers, continuing a renaissance Houston needed. Victor Caratini hit .234 against breaking balls last season. His recent grand slam upped his average to .302 in this season. Solving all spin is crucial for any lineup, but for one as right-handed as Houston's, holding its own against sliders is crucial. Sliders are a right-handed pitcher's preferred putaway pitch against a right-handed hitter. Advertisement Houston leads the major leagues in right-handed plate appearances, so it is no surprise that its lineup is seeing the second-most sliders of any offense in baseball. Only the Los Angeles Angels are seeing more — and are slashing a meager .192/.243/.369 against them. The Astros, meanwhile, entered Sunday with baseball's fourth-highest slugging percentage against sliders. No team has more hits off of sliders — then again, few get as many opportunities — but Houston's performance against the pitch can't be overstated. Peña's improvement at recognizing sliders has been chronicled. He's one of six Astros who entered Sunday hitting at least .247 while seeing at least 700 sliders — success that must be maintained for however long the lineup remains so right-handed. (Photo of Christian Walker and Yanier Diaz celebrating: Harry How / Getty Images)
