4:38pm: Baker announced Alvarez will undergo surgery on a partial tear of his right patella tendon and miss the rest of the season, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com tweets.
1:12pm: The Astros welcomed reigning AL Rookie of the Year Yordan Alvarez back for one game before knee troubles forced him from the lineup and eventually landed him on the injured list. Now, manager Dusty Baker tells Ross Villarreal of Sports Talk 790 in Houston that the slugger’s season is in jeopardy (Twitter link). “Yordan Alvarez, it looks like he’s done, maybe for the year,” Baker said of his designated hitter.
Knee troubles are nothing new for Alvarez, as he dealt with discomfort throughout his excellent rookie season and was hobbled during the original iteration of Spring Training as well. Details on the status of his knees have always been somewhat muddled, though. And as Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle points out (via Twitter), the Jeff Luhnow/A.J. Hinch regime and the James Click/Dusty Baker-led Astros have both been similarly vague when it comes to discussing Alvarez’s knees.
It’s been an injury-decimated season for the Astros. Justin Verlander has made just one start, while closer Roberto Osuna has been diagnosed with UCL damage. Brad Peacock and Jose Urquidy have yet to pitch. Right-hander Chris Devenski, Austin Pruitt and Rogelio Armenteros are all out with elbow troubles. On the position-player side of things, George Springer has been slowed by wrist troubles, and Houston has both Michael Brantley (quadriceps strain) and Aledmys Diaz (groin strain) on the 10-day IL at the moment.
Houston has reeled off six straight wins, boosting its record to 13-10 and surging back into the AL West race. They still trail the division-leading Athletics by two and a half games, but as the current second-place team in the AL West, they’re squarely in postseason position. The ’Stros have received huge performances from rookies Brandon Bielak and Cristian Javier in the rotation, which has helped to keep them afloat amid that barrage of injuries. Their schedule between now and the Aug. 31 trade deadline includes two games in Colorado, three in San Diego, three at home against the Angels and another three at home against the A’s. Houston’s play over the next two weeks will likely determine the deadline strategy, and that final three-game set against Oakland could be particularly pivotal in that regard.
Sucks for him. Young guy trying to establish his career.
No tears shed for the trashtros franchise but definitely have sympathy for Alvarez.
This season should’ve been cancelled. I think a lot of these injuries are a direct result of having a partial wam up for the “season”. They didn’t get the regular 6-7 weeks and it’s showing. Reckless by the owners and players. Manfred should’ve just called the whole 2020 season off. 60 games is laughable.
You’re aware that professional athletes can stay totally in shape and ready without their coaches holding their hands right? Maybe they are not paid enough to do so in your opinion?
Staying in shape at home isn’t the same as game activity. In that sense, baseball is the hardest of major team sports to play. Lots of standing around, then you suddenly have to exert yourself on a stressful play. The stress can be even more pronounced on pitchers. There’s a reason why starting pitchers are averaging just a shade over 4 innings per start. They aren’t ready. If people think we’re seeing a lot of injuries now, what until next season. Starting pitchers will be expected to ramp up to 160-200 innings after throwing 50-70 real-game innings over the previous 18 months.
I guess it might be hard for the pitchers. I still think a lot of these guys weren’t continuing to throw in some fashion, though.
And, bro, “game shape” for baseball vs football or basketball isn’t even close, man.
10-50 yard sprints per day is 5 times the exercise these guys get during a normal game. They can’t do that at home. Pitchers can’t find someone to play catch with? Or maybe players are just lazy in the offseason?
There may be some truth to you’re argument, though I don’t think Yordan Alvarez and his Pedro Guerrero knees provide much supporting evidence to your view.
Baseball is a more intricate game to play, Practicing throwing a football is easy compared to having to snap off a variety of pitches. And it’s to practice shooting a basketball than getting ready to hit those pitches.
So there’s that.
@agentx
Guess they missed all the signs. Lots of people able to bang the can now.
Oh come on baseball gods! Chris Woodward, Luis Robert, and now this! The past 36 hours have sucked.
1 of these things is not like the others.
blessing in disguise for Rangers
Can somebody bang a trash can so Altuve and the rest of the Astros find their bats. Altuve is proving the sign stealing very much benefited the Astros.
Yeah, except he didn’t use the system, and he still hit in ‘18 and ‘19.
There’s also the fact that Correa, Gurriel, and Bregman admitted to using the system and they are having good seasons.
But I guess the rumors about the Dodgers and Brewers cheating are true too…….since Bellinger and Yelich are struggling just as bad as Altuve.
Man.
I’m pretty much at the height of our building season and I’ve been trying to get to Nebraska or North Dakota when I have a little time to.
So besides the Yankees I’m not paying a whole lot of attention to MLB as a whole.
But.
Every time I check in here there seems to be quite a few injury reports. Can anyone tell me if I’m just being recency biased or if – indeed – injuries *are* up this season.
Merci.
The injury rate the first 18 days of the season was 3x higher than last 2 years. Haven’t seen analysis since then. Mostly pitchers. Ramp up, shut down, ramp up has hurt a lot of arms. This particular injury has been lingering for nearly a year.
Thank you. Appreciate the info.
Why did the Dodgers trade this guy. Can you imagine him in there lineup. Wow wow wow
Considering he’s going to miss the entire season, it’s tough to imagine him in any lineup. That’s like saying imagine the Yankees had Chris Sale in their rotation.
They used him as leverage to get something they needed or thought they needed. They’ve done it be and will do it again. He hadn’t even performed in the org at that point, so really nothing for them to cry over.
Dodger fans should have zero complaints about the job Friedman has done. A World Series title will come eventually. In the meantime, it is a blessing to watch a team year after year where every game means something. Every fan in baseball should want that level of commitment from their team’s front office.
Yeah that “there” lineup would be pretty gud
I suppose we can’t blame Dusty for this one. I’m still grumpy about Mark Prior.
Dang it – I came here to write that Dusty has hit an early record for injuring his players. Maybe I’ll beat you when Greinke hits the DL later this week.
MLB’s version of Greg Oden
LoL I meant not only this season but upcoming seasons. Just surprised they let him go.
I wonder who would be MLB’s version of Old Gregg?
Greg Oden won Rookie of the Year?
And Alvarez was a number one draft pick?
Hell, was Alvarez even a highly sought prospect when he signed?
First the sign stealing, losing Cole, Verlander, Altuve sucks now, Osuna, now Alvarez… I think it’s now safe to say the Astros should seriously consider rebuilding. The returns in dealing Brantley, Greinke, Gurriel, and Pressly should have Houston back into legitimacy by 2022.
rebuild isnt the right word. it would be a retool, like what the Yankees did in 2016.
Fair enough
14-10 at the moment and in second place. No to rebuild/retool
Is he able to take over trash can duties near the club house?
Alvarez debuted last year and had nothing to do with that system at all. Please don’t be ignorant and lump him in just because he plays for the Astros.
Too talented to risk hurting himself more over this short of a season. I’d almost be inclined to sit him for the rest of the year
Oddly enough Yordan was traded for Josh Fields who is celebrating a birthday today. Baseball Reference even says happy birthday on the page, never seen that before today.
Alvarez is not “injury prone” and I hope like hell he’ll be back to 100% next year b/c he is a great young player and it took the Astros 3 MRI’s to finally find this injury! The first two times they looked at it, they said they couldn’t find any structural damage. Now all of a sudden they found this and he’ll need season ending surgery? This team’s upper management and front office is an absolute dumpster fire and has been for a long time. Yes they draft well and did a good rebuild but the cheating scandal and everything that came outta that, it’s pathetic. And seeing some of the Astros big bats struggling the way they are, it’s pretty evident that the trash bang was pretty damn helpful! I mean Altuve (.168) Springer (.200) and Maldanato (.222) and the power numbers are way down. And now they lose Alvarez, and no JV, they are going to start struggling bad! Serves em right!
Man what a terrible take. Haha
Springer has a 107 wRC+ and Maldonado who barely played in 2017 after being acquired at the trade deadline had a 114 wRC+. So both are “struggling” yet still above league average. Lol
Then the guys that admitted cheating, Correa, Bregman, and Gurriel, are all having really good seasons.
The only main guy struggling is Altuve, and he’s the guy all of the other Astros players said didn’t use the sign stealing system. Haha. But hey, it couldn’t be just an early season slump like Yelich or Bellinger right?
The only ones that “admitted” to cheating? Unreal chief. You must be a loyal Astros fan. Check out this new thing called YouTube and watch a few videos bud. There was PLENTY of banging happening when Altuve was at the plate too boss. They should lose that championship and their rings, and yet the only people that suffered was the coach and GM. Pathetic
This is a small sample size. Lots of hitters go thru long streaks when they are horrible.
No big deal, just another mediocre hitter when he doesn’t know what’s coming.
Guessing is harder than knowing
Another dumb take. Besides not being on the team in ‘17, he won ROY last year when they weren’t cheating.
But, I’m sure your one of the guys that doesn’t believe the investigation so I’ll just end with the guy had 9 AB’s this season…….and he looked the same as last year.
All dumb when it’s the truth about a cheating Astros team when your one of their fans. Not a dumb take at all, much harder to hit .320 when you don’t know if it’s a FB or an offspeed pitch huh?