A hard slide into second base forced Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez out of the game against the Los Angeles Angels because of a right knee contusion. Upon hitting a double in the third inning, Alvarez slid hard into second to beat the throw and immediately began to favor his knee. There was no contact with an Angels player, the injury perhaps coming from a deep bruise from his knee digging into the ground on the slide.

Astros staff went out to check on Alvarez, and he attempted to walk off the field after the injury. After a few moments, he gingerly walked off the field under his own power. Alvarez had been playing well up until that point, going 2-for-2 with a double. Mauricio Dubon replaced Alvarez.

The injury isn't believed to be serious, but imaging will be required to determine his availability for the final days of the 2024 regular season.

The Astros are warming up at the right time of year

Houston Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez (44) is evaluated after an apparent injury during the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Minute Maid Park.
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Houston isn't within striking distance of earning a first-round bye, so as the American League's No. 3 seed, they will face the No. 6 seed. The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals are tied in the standings with an 82-74 record. However, the Royals have lost eight of their last 10 contests, while the Minnesota Twins are right on their heels, just a half-game back. The Mariners are two games out from a Wild Card spot.

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Of the six AL teams that would make the postseason if the playoffs started today, the Astros have the worst record against teams with .500+ records, at 38-41. For context, the New York Yankees are 54-36 against winning teams.

One point of weakness for the Astros is centerfield, as highlighted by ClutchPoints' Andrew Meyers.

“The latter should be good to go for the playoffs, but that still leaves Houston with a dilemma at one and likely two outfield positions. Most notably center field, where the Astros have received a combined .636 OPS from five players, good enough for 25th in MLB.

“Houston's outfielders combined have a 1.2 bWAR. It's been a struggle without Tucker for much of the season. Even with the three-time All-Star back in the lineup, the Astros outfield hasn’t produced much at the plate. Houston's outfielders hit a combined .229 over the last seven days.”

Should Alvarez be pushed into the DH spot, the Astros are more vulnerable and forced to test their depth with Jake Meyers, Mauricio Dubon and Jason Heyward.

With six games left in the season, there won't be much time for Alvarez to heal for the playoffs if he's forced to miss time.