The Houston Astros and the New York Yankees will kick off the second half with a Thursday doubleheader.
They are the two best teams in the American League, and matchups between them this season have been extremely close.
The Astros received some good news on the injury front: they are getting star designated hitter Yordan Alvarez back after missing some time with a recurring hand issue.
“The Astros reinstated OF Yordan Alvarez from 10-day IL (right hand inflammation); optioned OF Jose Siri to Triple A; placed RHP Ryan Pressly on the paternity list; reinstated LHP Parker Mushinski from the 15-day IL (left elbow discomfort). Bielak is our 27th man for the DH,” the Astros wrote via Twitter.
The Astros reinstated OF Yordan Alvarez from 10-day IL (right hand inflammation); optioned OF Jose Siri to Triple A; placed RHP Ryan Pressly on the paternity list; reinstated LHP Parker Mushinski from the 15-day IL (left elbow discomfort). Bielak is our 27th man for the DH. https://t.co/LbCu10oJUB
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 21, 2022
One Of The Majors’ Best Hitters
Alvarez has not only been the Astros’ best hitter so far, which is saying a lot, but he has a very good case for best offensive player in baseball at the moment.
He is hitting .306 with 57 runs, 26 home runs, 60 RBI and an incredible 1.058 OPS for the Astros.
Those numbers earned him a place on the All-Star Game roster, but he couldn’t play because of the hand issue.
Houston opted to give him a few days of rest through the All-Star break, and he is now ready to go.
The hand had bothered him in the past, and he has never stopped hitting, so one would think he can go back to producing his usual output now that he got some days off.
The Astros certainly need him: the Seattle Mariners are working on a 14-game winning streak and have now closed the gap to nine games.
It’s still a lot, but it used to be significantly larger, and Houston can’t afford to let the Mariners work their way back in the AL West division.
NEXT: Astros Insider Remembers The Beginning For Jose Altuve