The Houston Astros have been without Yordan Alvarez since the beginning of May. He went on the IL with right hand inflammation on May 5 and was transferred to the 60-Day IL on July 2. After a long and sometimes confusing road back, the veteran slugger finally began a rehab assignment on August 19 with Triple-A Corpus Cristi. Soon, he will be back in the Majors, which will give the Astros a major boost as they try to make a push for the postseason down the stretch.
However, when Alvarez returns, it might create a bit of a roster crunch. The Astros will have to figure out what to do with both Alvarez and Jose Altuve, and there might not be enough room for both of the team's biggest stars.
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Yordan Alvarez's return could create roster crunch for Astros
Since acquiring Jesus Sanchez at the trade deadline, Altuve has been used mainly as a designated hitter, the spot that Alvarez is accustomed to occupying. Sure, Houston could move Altuve back to left field, but that experiment didn't go so well out of the gates in 2025. Altuve's outfield defense has been less than stellar in his debut season on the grass.
Another thing the Astros could do is put Alvarez in left field and keep Altuve at the designated hitter spot. That would allow them both to play at positions they are comfortable with and stay in the lineup. Moving Altuve back to second base could also be an option, but the Astros already have Ramon Urias playing that position, so they might have to move him to the bench. Besides, the team moved Altuve off of second in the first place because they were worried about his ability to handle that responsibility as his athleticism wanes. (And it's not like Alvarez is a stellar fielder in left either.)
Alvarez's return should give Houston a major boost offensively as they look to capture yet another American League West crown and return to the postseason. Houston's offense has also struggled lately, and they need a big-time lefty bat in the middle of this lineup. However, they are going to potentially have some tough decisions to make on what to do with their starting lineup. They need both players in the lineup every day, and they shouldn't look to create a scenario where one of them sits.
Alvarez got off to a slow start this year, hitting .210/.306/.340 with three home runs, 18 RBI and a .646 OPS before landing on the injured list. However, he is a three-time All-Star and former Silver Slugger, and if he can get healthy, he could be exactly what the Astros need to get their offense going as they try to win another AL West title.
Still, they might have some tough roster decisions to make when he returns, and it will certainly be interesting to see how general manager Dana Brown navigates this when Alvarez is activated.