The Houston Astros closed out a series win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday with a 2-1 victory, then immediately turned their attention to a three-game road set against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. The club will open that series without one of its most important bats.
Manager Joe Espada announced shortly before first pitch that Yordan Alvarez would not start Friday after turning his ankle in the previous game, via Underdog MLB.
Alvarez remains available as a pinch hitter if the situation calls for it, but Houston is treating the injury with caution as September tightens around the playoff picture.
Alvarez has been the centerpiece of Houston’s offense all year. In his eighth season with the Astros he has played 145 games, hitting .310 with 38 home runs, 96 RBIs and an MLB-leading slugging percentage and OPS. Those numbers have made him a leading candidate for American League MVP.
His production has cooled in September, however, and the ankle issue may help explain the dip. Espada’s decision gives the slugger a chance to recover while the team tries to protect its slim lead in the AL West. Houston entered Friday at 75-72 and in first place in the division, with a top-three seed still within reach if the club can hold its position through the final weeks.
The lineup adjustment is straightforward.
Jose Altuve moves to designated hitter and leads off. Nick Allen starts at second base. Jeremy Peña remains at shortstop, Isaac Paredes at third, Daulton Varsho in center, Yainer Diaz behind the plate, Christian Walker at first, Cam Smith in right and Taylor Trammell in left.
Miguel Ullola takes the mound against a Rays team that sits in first place in the AL East.
The timing is not ideal. Alvarez already sits at a career-high workload in plate appearances, and Houston is in the middle of a stretch that will help decide whether this group returns to October.
A short rest now could pay off later if the ankle settles and Alvarez returns at full strength for the remainder of the series and the games that follow. For one night, the Astros will ask the rest of the order to carry more of the load while their most dangerous hitter watches from the bench and waits for the right moment to enter.
The club has shown it can win close games without its full complement of stars, as Thursday’s result against Philadelphia demonstrated. Still, every game in September carries extra weight.
How quickly Alvarez can return, and how the lineup performs in his absence, will say a great deal about Houston’s chances of turning a first-place standing into a postseason berth.
