The Houston Astros just began a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves on Friday night and their fans will certainly be holding their breath after slugger Yordan Alvarez exited early and didn't return.

Thankfully though, it's not an injury. Alvarez was feeling extremely ill on the field and ultimately went to the hospital for further examinations:

It's unknown what the problem is at this point but the Astros will be thankful he's not actually hurt. Alvarez has been Houston's best hitter all year long and an MVP candidate in the American League behind Aaron Judge, batting .297 with 31 homers and 77 RBI. He's also got a .401 OBP and .616 slugging percentage. In a nutshell, Alvarez is raking on a daily basis for this team.

It's unclear if Alvarez is going to miss the remaining two contests of the series. Although he's not injured, this is still a scary situation for the Astros and Alvarez. The 25-year-old must've felt extremely sick if he had to go to the hospital for treatment. Perhaps it's COVID or something else.

The Astros currently have the best record in the AL at 77-43 and look like a legitimate World Series contender once again. Heading into Friday, they're 7-3 in their last 10 and have won two in a row after beating the White Sox 21-5 on Thursday. The only way Houston actually makes a run to the Fall Classic however is with Yordan Alvarez firing on all cylinders at the plate. He's truly that important to their success.

Stay tuned for updates on Alvarez's condition.