Just as he was rediscovering his elite form, Yordan Alvarez has suffered another setback. The Houston Astros slugger, who was batting .369 with a 1.024 OPS over his last 18 games heading into Monday night, will now have to pause his season once again.
In the first inning of the Astros’ matchup against the Texas Rangers, Alvarez appeared to misstep while crossing home plate, twisting his left ankle in a way that visibly buckled his leg. Footage circulating on social media shows the sprained ankle turning sharply inward, almost at a right angle, raising immediate concern among fans and teammates.
The full extent of the injury remains unclear, but according to MLB.com, Alvarez is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Tuesday.
“It did not look good on the field,” Astros manager Joe Espada said after the game, according to MLB.com.
Alvarez had only restarted his season on Aug. 26 after missing two-thirds of the campaign due to a fractured right hand. This is the first time the Cuban has missed more than 42 games in a single season in his career since becoming a starter for the Astros in 2021.
In that time, he has become one of Houston’s top hitters, posting four consecutive seasons with more than 30 home runs and more than 85 RBI. In the process, he helped his team win three division series, two American League pennants, and a World Series.
Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros bats in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Park on September 15, 2025 in Houston, Texas.
Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros bats in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Park on September 15, 2025 in Houston, Texas.
Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images
Not surprisingly, his teammates were very concerned about this new setback.
“I saw him coming around (third base),” Jeremy Peña recalled after the game, according to MLB.com. “And then when he stepped on home plate, I had a front-row seat. His ankle kind of twisted, and when he had to plant again, I saw it twist again. And it’s not pretty. You don’t want to see that, especially Yordan Alvarez. We need him.”
The Houston Astros are in the midst of a defining moment of their season, as they have both the AL West title and the top spot in the wild-card standings within reach.
At 82-69 entering Tuesday, they are only a half-game behind the division-leading Seattle Mariners. They are also third in the wild-card standings, but only a half-game behind the second-place Boston Red Sox and just 1 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Yankees.
Despite Alvarez’s injury, the Astros won their game against the Rangers on Monday, 6-3. In a twist of fate, one of the key contributors to the result was his replacement, Zach Cole, who went 2-for-3 at the plate, with a home run and three RBI.
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