Astros fans have no need to panic over surprise Yordan Alvarez absence

It's understandable if Houston Astros fans are a bit on edge. They just found out Justin Verlander is heading for the injured list after all. So seeing Yordan Alvarez out of the lineup after an off day sparked some instinctual panic.

Fear not, Astros fans. Alvarez didn't pick up an injury on the way to Chicago.

The star outfielder isn't playing on Tuesday against the White Sox because he is dealing with "a family matter," according to Astros field reporter Julia Morales.

First and foremost, the hope is that whatever family issue Alvarez is dealing with, it's not serious.

From a baseball perspective, a quick explanation for the absence should pump the brakes on any hysteria. The fact that it's not an injury means Alvarez should be back quickly enough.

Yordan Alvarez absence comes at inconvenient time for Astros

The unfortunate part for the Astros is that Kyle Tucker is still out injured. Alvarez is Houston's most dangerous hitter behind Tucker this season. A lineup with both of them absent is certainly hurting for firepower.

Alvarez is slashing .290/.362/.511 this year with an OPS+ of 148 this year. He has 14 home runs behind only Tucker's 19.

The good news is the White Sox are the worst team in baseball. Even without Alvarez and Tucker, the Astros have a good chance of winning the series. The hope is that Alvarez won't miss the whole thing either. We'll have to wait and see on that. In the meantime, Framber Valdez may need to put in a performance without expecting much run support.

Houston is coming off a series win over the Tigers in St. Louis. The last road trip was a wash with a 2-1 series win over the Angels and a 1-2 series loss to the Giants. Sitting at 33-39, the long climb to .500 would be helped by a strong showing in Chicago.