The Houston Astros are hanging tough at the top of the American League West, even though one of their best players, Yordan Alvarez, has been out with an injury since May 2. While the team is doing well without him, getting him back would definitely boost their confidence and offense.
On June 18, Astros general manager Dana Brown gave an encouraging update during an interview on the Sean Unfiltered show. He said Alvarez is now “day-to-day” and “feels a lot better.” However, Brown also confirmed that Alvarez still isn’t taking swings yet, meaning he’s not quite ready to return to games.
The Astros are being very careful with Alvarez’s hand injury, which makes sense. If they rush him back too soon, there’s a risk he could hurt it again, or even injure something else while trying to protect it. Since the team is aiming for a deep playoff run, there’s no reason to take that risk right now, especially when they’re already playing well.
Alvarez, who turns 28 in a few days, is in his seventh season with the Astros. He’s already had a big career, winning Rookie of the Year, being named an All-Star three times, and helping the Astros win the World Series. He’s been one of the league’s top hitters over the years.
However, 2025 hasn’t been his best season so far. Before his injury, he was batting just .210, with an OPS (a stat that combines on-base percentage and power) of .646, which is way below his usual numbers. For comparison, over his previous six seasons, his average OPS+ was 166, but this year it dropped to 82, less than half his norm.
Even though he’s struggled, the Astros are hoping that once Alvarez is healthy again, he’ll get back to his usual form at the plate. The update from Dana Brown is a good sign, it means Alvarez is getting closer to returning, and the injury seems to be improving. While fans shouldn’t expect him back right away, things are moving in the right direction.