HOUSTON — A lineup lacking balance or brawn now has both, bringing the Houston Astros closer to full strength than at any point since early May.
The Astros activated three-time All-Star slugger Yordan Alvarez prior to Tuesday’s series-opener against the Colorado Rockies, concluding a circuitous 100-game stay on the injured list complete with setbacks, suspect messaging and an offense that sorely missed Alvarez’s mere presence.
Alvarez last played on May 2. A day later, the team placed him on the injured list with what it initially described as right hand inflammation.
Further imaging in mid-June revealed a fracture of the fourth metacarpal — but only after the Astros allowed Alvarez to take live batting practice at Daikin Park in hopes of a return. Alvarez suffered another setback in July while working at the team’s spring training complex, after which he saw another hand specialist and received two injections to reduce inflammation.
No further roadblocks have been reported for Alvarez, who went 7-for-15 with four doubles during four minor-league rehab games at Double-A Corpus Christi last week.
Houston went 56-44 during Alvarez’s absence while slashing .258/.321/.414. Only 10 offenses had a higher OPS during that stretch, accentuating the admirable job done to stay afloat without one of its best hitters.
Significant injuries to All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes and Jake Meyers in mid-July, coupled with rookie Cam Smith’s pronounced slump, have further magnified Alvarez’s absence. The Astros are averaging just 3.9 runs in August, with a 31-inning scoreless streak last week representing the nadir.
Adding Alvarez is an obvious boost for morale and will make the Astros’ lineup more formidable, but how effective he can be is a legitimate question. Alvarez has not faced major-league pitching in nearly four months.
The last time he did, Alvarez slugged just .340 with a .646 OPS across 121 plate appearances. Whether the ailing right hand affected those numbers is an obvious thought. So is this: Will Alvarez have to manage some similar discomfort for the final five weeks of this season?
Even if he does, Alvarez at limited efficacy is a better option than anything else these imbalanced Astros possess. Houston has received a major-league-low 409 plate appearances from left-handed hitters this season, a flaw that has allowed opposing managers to all but avoid throwing left-handed pitching against them.
The Astros acquired left-handed-hitting outfielder Jesús Sánchez at the trade deadline to add some balance, but they will not play him against left-handed pitching due to his drastic platoon splits.
Alvarez, on the other hand, has a career .967 OPS against left-handed pitching. No left-handed hitter has a higher mark since 2019 — the season Alvarez made his major-league debut. Manager Joe Espada could hit Alvarez anywhere from second to fourth, splitting up the glut of right-handed hitters that crowd the top of his batting order.
More intrigue will surround what Alvarez’s activation means for Jose Altuve, who has served as Houston’s designated hitter during 12 of its past 16 games and has not started a game in left field since July 28.
Though Alvarez played one game in left field last week during his minor-league rehab assignment, it stands to reason the Astros will want to limit how much — if at all — he plays defense.
Doing so will either shift Altuve back to more regular left-field duty or put him at second base, the position Houston asked him to vacate this winter amid declining defensive metrics.
(Photo: Erik Williams / Imagn Images)