Two of the Houston Astros best players are set to return from injuries. On Wednesday, Houston announced 2B Jose Altuve and DH/OF Yordan Alvarez were activated from the injured list prior to the Astros showdown with the Texas Rangers.
The Rangers have performed well throughout the season in their pursuit to steal away the AL West. Houston has been the class of the division over the past few years, but Texas has made things interesting in 2023. The Astros, however, are playing good baseball right now and are on the verge of making a run with Altuve and Alvarez back in the lineup.
The Astros get their leader back
Jose Altuve isn't the most beloved player in baseball following the Astros' 2017 sign-stealing scandal. He is respected among the team though. Altuve may be small in stature, but his impact on the ball club is immense.
Altuve was forced to miss the beginning of the season after suffering an injury in the World Baseball Classic. He returned but then suffered another ailment. Overall, he's appeared in just 32 games in 2023. During that span, Altuve is slashing .264/.371/.479 with an .850 OPS and six home runs.
He's an eight-time All-Star and two-time World Series winning player as well. The Astros will be in a better all-around position with Altuve on the diamond.
Alvarez is back!
Yordan Alvarez is arguably the best DH in baseball not named Shohei Ohtani. He's made back-to-back All-Star teams and was in the midst of another fantastic campaign before suffering an injury in 2023. He's played 57 games this season, posting a slash line of .277/.388/.589 with a .978 OPS and 17 home runs across 57 games.
In 2022, Alvarez was even better and would have won the AL MVP in most other seasons. However, Aaron Judge clubbed 62 home runs and Shohei Ohtani continued his pitching/hitting dominance which left Alvarez with a minimal chance of earning the award. Regardless, he still hit .306/.406/.613 with a 1.019 OPS and 37 home runs. Alvarez is clearly one of the best players in baseball and will help the Astros down the stretch.
Astros' AL West pursuit
Houston trails Texas by just one game heading into Wednesday's clash. The Astros are 7-3 over the course of their past 10 games and the additions of Altuve and Alvarez will only boost their momentum. The Rangers will have an extremely difficult time fending off this ultra-talented Astros team.
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