Astros place Yordan Alvarez on injured list with inflammation in his right hand
Eric Samulski examines how Triston Casas' long-term viability comes in question after being shut down for the 2025 MLB season with a knee injury and which players are most likely to see an uptick in playing time.
MILWAUKEE — Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez is going on the 10-day injured list with inflammation in his right hand.
The issue had caused the three-time All-Star to miss the last two games of the Astros' weekend series with the Chicago White Sox. The move, announced before the Astros' Monday night game at Milwaukee, is retroactive to Saturday.
Houston recalled catcher César Salazar from Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move.
Alvarez, 27, has batted .210 with a .306 on-base percentage, three homers and 18 RBIs in 29 games this season. That follows a 2024 season in which he batted. 308 with a .392 on-base percentage, 35 homers and 86 RBIs in 147 games while earning a third straight All-Star Game selection and finishing ninth in the AL Most Valuable Player voting.
He has posted an OPS of at least .959 each of the past three seasons and ranked fourth in the AL in that category last year.
Salazar, 26, was hitting .197 with a .305 on-base percentage, two homers and seven RBIs in 21 games for Sugar Land. He hit .320 with a .387 on-base percentage, no homers and eight RBIs in 12 games with Houston last year.

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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
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Melton is a marvelous defensive center fielder with enough athleticism to translate into a corner spot, even if he had started just 17 professional games in left field before Tuesday. 'Just trying to treat it like center — I think that can ease the transition a little bit,' Melton said. 'I played the corners a decent amount in the minor leagues here, obviously more right than left. The early work I can get in before the games is going to be very important just to get some comfortability in over there.' That Melton's ailing back must still be monitored is a factor in this discussion, too. Both Espada and general manager Dana Brown have acknowledged that Melton was playing on a strict schedule at Triple-A Sugar Land to manage the injury. They'll maintain that in the major leagues, meaning Melton is a part-time player behind Altuve — a left fielder everywhere but the exhibition ballot. (Top photo of Jose Altuve: Justin K. Aller / Getty Images)