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Yordan Alvarez becomes the latest casualty in a 2026 Astros season defined by injuries.
The Houston Astros have been decimated by injuries in 2026. The latest player to go down is Yordan Alvarez.
After fouling off a Colin Rea pitch, Alvarez backed out of the box. That drew the attention of manager Joe Espada, who left the Astros dugout to check on his star slugger.
It marked the second time in the inning that Espada checked on Alvarez. The Astros’ designated hitter was set to lead off. With it being the second injury visit, the Astros manager pulled his slugger out of the game. Zach Dezenzo finished the at-bat and remained in the game at DH.
Michael Schwab, who covers the Astros for Ice Box Insider, posted the full sequence of events leading to Alvarez’s removal from the game.
Yordan Alvarez left the game.
Here’s the whole sequence.
Espada was talking to him before his AB and it looked like Yordan wanted to hit. After he swung on a foul ball, he stepped back and Espada took him out of the game.
Not sure what’s up. Yordan has played in every game
Alvarez becomes the latest Astros player to suffer an injury. The star slugger has developed into one of the best hitters in all of baseball. Since the start of the 2022 season, he’s second among hitters with at least 2,000 plate appearances in wRC+ (169). Only the Yankees‘ Aaron Judge (200) has ranked higher.
That strong run has continued into 2026. He entered play with a robust .301/.416/.601 slash with 15 home runs and a 14.6% walk rate. His 179 wRC+ is tied with Yankees’ breakout slugger Ben Rice for the MLB lead.
Losing such a bat is a further blow in a season that’s been defined by injuries. Despite all that has gone wrong for the Astros, Alvarez has been a constant force in their lineup. Now he becomes the latest casualty in what appears to be a lost season for the club.
Alvarez’s primary issue has been staying healthy. He’s only played in 140 or more games in two of the last four seasons, as various injuries have kept him on the shelf. Before this injury, he had appeared in all 53 games the club has played in 2026.
Houston has been devastated by injuries in 2026, with 13 players currently on the injured list. Three of them are unlikely to appear in another game this season.
Some of the notable players on the shelf are Carlos Correa, Ronel Blanco, Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, Jose Altuve, Yainer Diaz, Josh Hader, Brandon Walter, Hayden Wesneski, and Bennett Sousa.
Of that group, Hader appears to be the closest to a return. Correa is already done for the year, as he underwent surgery to repair a torn tendon in his left ankle. Blanco, Walter, and Wesneski are rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
Adding up the injuries, Houston is down three hitters, six starting pitchers, and two of their top relievers. The injuries have factored into the club’s 21-31 start to the season, which has stretched their organizational depth thin.
The year has also included IL stints from Jeremy Pena, Jake Meyers, and Tatsuya Imai. All three players were activated within the past two weeks.
The Astros and their fan base wait with bated breath on the health status of their All-Star slugger. A lengthy absence could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back on a difficult 2026 season for the franchise.
Michael McDermott Michael McDermott is a writer at Heavy Sports covering the Arizona Diamondbacks and Major League Baseball. Michael has 10 years experience writing about the D-backs and their farm system for AZ Snake Pit, Burn City Sports, and Diamondbacks On SI. More about Michael McDermott
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