<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-3-bold-predictions-yordan-alvarez-ahead-opening-day');   ga('set', 'title', '3 bold predictions for Astros, Yordan Alvarez ahead of Opening Day');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/X-bold-predictions-for-Yordan-Alvarez-Houston-ahead-of-Opening-Day.jpg"></figure><h1>3 bold predictions for Astros, Yordan Alvarez ahead of Opening Day</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-03-27T07:54:20-07:00">March 27th, 7:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-03-27T09:09:02-07:00">March 27th, 9:09am</time><address><a>Alex House</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Regardless of scandal or major departures, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-framber-valdez-opening-day-starting-pitcher" rel="noopener">Houston Astros’</a> title window always seems to be wide open. They do not merely plug in players to replace stars like Carlos Correa or <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-gerrit-cole-reveals-why-hes-poised-for-monster-2023-season" rel="noopener">Gerrit Cole</a>. They find and develop new ones like Framber Valdez, Jeremy Pena and Cristian Javier. The result was a World Series Championship last season and an ironclad grip of the American League the last half-decade.</p><p>This season, though, there seems to be more doubt creeping around Minute Maid Park than there has been in a long time. 2022 AL Cy Young Justin Verlander had long been the linchpin of this pitching rotation and a valued veteran presence among a slew of young arms. He is now gone. Jose Altuve, arguably the greatest player in franchise history and the unquestioned heart and soul of the Astros, will miss more than two months with a fractured thumb.</p><p>Every empire falls eventually. And yet, with Yordan Alvarez leading a still-imposing lineup, it is hard to imagine Houston in ruins. With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-new-york-makes-final-anthony-volpe-opening-day-roster-decision" rel="noopener">Opening Day</a> looming, here are three bold predictions that will attempt to sort out if the Astros are likely to defend their crown successfully or be overthrown by a new ambitious ruler.</p><h2>Astros will not win the AL West</h2><p>Did I mention <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-jose-altuve-reveals-how-long-he-wants-to-play-with-houston" rel="noopener">Jose Altuve</a> is the heart and soul of this club? Through the highs and lows, the eight-time All-Star has been the face of this polarizing ballclub. His absence cannot be replaced by one player. Fellow stalwart Michael Brantley will also not be ready for Opening Day and has struggled to stay on the field these last couple of seasons. The pitching staff is not without its own injury concerns with Lance McCullers Jr. still working his way through rehab for an elbow injury.</p><p>The Astros have dealt through some of these issues before and always emerged at or near the top by season’s end. But as they get weaker, the Seattle Mariners get stronger. Who knows what could have happened had Alvarez not solidified his stardom with a three-run walk-off home run in Game 1 of the American League Division Series? Well, he did and a sweep ensued, but those seemed like a grumblings of a Seattle team destined for a full-fledged breakout.</p><p>Julio Rodriguez will look to build off a great rookie campaign and lead a lineup rife with power. The pitching staff has a solid blend of veterans and budding stars. It all just seems like the perfect storm. The Astros will again weather the adversity well-enough to clinch their seventh consecutive postseason berth, but not enough to retain AL West regular season supremacy.</p><h2>Yordan Alvarez will be the 2023 AL MVP</h2><p>Aaron Judge’s absurd 2022 MVP season and Shohei Ohtani’s unicorn nature overshadowed what was an excellent season for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-dusty-baker-yordan-alvarez-spring-training-hand-injury" rel="noopener">Yordan Alvarez</a>. That should not be the case, this year, though. At age 25, he is not even in his prime yet. Alvarez can put together an elite offensive line that will earn him AL MVP honors.</p><p>While his stats may suggest otherwise, anointing Alvarez as the best in the league is surely a bold statement to make with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/angels-news-shohei-ohtani-wild-patrick-mahomes-sauce-gardner-comparison" rel="noopener">Ohtani</a> in the mix. The Los Angeles Angels star does not necessarily have to be great in either pitching or hitting to be crowned MVP for a second time. Just excelling in both of those areas is enough to make him a favorite among the writers. Alvarez will have his work cut out for him.</p><p>But after hitting .306 with 37 homer runs to go with an eye-opening 1.019 OPS and 6.8 WAR, expect the slugger to be up to the task. He can realistically belt 50 home runs this season and should have plenty of opportunities to drive runners home. Altuve not being in the lineup does allow pitchers to make Alvarez even more a clear focal point, but he has more composure at the plat than people may realize. He lowered his strikeouts and increased his walk rate last season.</p><p>Alvarez has taken the strides needed to set himself up for a big campaign. Expect 2023 to be the year of Yordan.</p><h2>Astros starting pitching staff will still be among the best</h2><p>There is uncertainty surrounding Houston’s pitching rotation with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mets-news-justin-verlander-gets-real-on-world-series-winning-mindset" rel="noopener">Verlander</a> signing with the New York Mets, but they again have a strong succession plan in place. Valdez is the Opening Day starter and should not be rattled by his new ace status. He recorded a 2.82 ERA and nearly had 200 strikeouts in just over 200 innings pitched last season. In a staff that contains multiple question marks, Valdez brings stability.</p><p>Javier will be the X-factor. The 26-year-old could be well on his way to earning his first All-Star selection if everything goes as expected. Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy stepped up in a big way last year and should continue to prop up the middle and back-end of this staff with steady numbers.</p><p>The Astros will not lead the AL in ERA like they did in 2022 (I expect the Mariners to get them here as well), but they will be right near the top even without the reigning Cy Young. Manager Dusty Baker just has too much talent at his disposal.</p><p>The culture and talent are still in place for the Astros to collectively achieve big success ahead of Opening Day. Just maybe not as much as in years past. That is the curse for a team with nowhere to go but down.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 bold predictions for Astros, Yordan Alvarez ahead of Opening Day

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-dusty-baker-yordan-alvarez-spring-training-hand-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros’ Dusty Baker drops major Yordan Alvarez injury update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Astros-news-Dusty-Baker-drops-major-Yordan-Alvarez-injury-update.jpg"></figure><h1>Astros’ Dusty Baker drops major Yordan Alvarez injury update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-03-21T08:21:53-07:00">March 21st, 8:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-03-21T08:21:53-07:00">March 21st, 8:21am</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Yordan <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-yordan-alvarez-makes-concerning-admission-ahead-of-houston-spring-training" rel="noopener">Alvarez has yet</a> to appear in a spring training game for the Houston Astros, making his status for Opening Day a bit unclear. However, Astros manager Dusty <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-dusty-bakers-3-word-take-houston-making-7th-straight-alcs-2023" rel="noopener">Baker recently dropped</a> a huge update involving Alvarez’s injury status.</p><p>Baker confirmed that Alvarez is <a href="https://twitter.com/Chandler_Rome/status/1638182386113433604?s=20" rel="noopener">expected to make</a> his Grapefruit League debut on Thursday, via Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Alvarez had been sidelined with a hand injury. With his hand now appearing to be healed, Alvarez is ready to pick up some momentum before helping the Astros defend their World Series crown.</p><p>Yordan Alvarez has been an offensive monster since joining the Astros in 2019. Over 368 games, the designated hitter has hit .296 with 98 home runs and 283 RBI. He was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2019.</p><p>Houston’s slugger is coming off of his best season as a professional. In 135 games, Alvarez hit .306 with 37 home runs and 97 RBI. His batting average and home runs were both career-highs. Alvarez earned his first All Star appearance and his first Silver Slugger award.</p><p>Alvarez put his stamp on his strong season with a home run and six RBI in the World Series. After winning his first title, the designated hitter is looking for more.</p><p>With his hand injury now behind him, Alvarez can start preparing for the season against MLB pitching. While it’s just spring training, Alvarez getting cleared is a huge boost to his Opening Day readiness. Houston is counting on another strong offensive season from their DH. Alvarez looks ready to deliver on his end of the deal.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros’ Dusty Baker drops major Yordan Alvarez injury update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-houston-gets-disappointing-yordan-alvarez-update-after-lance-mccullers-jr-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros get disappointing Yordan Alvarez update after Lance McCullers Jr. injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Astros-Yordan-Alvarez.jpeg"></figure><h1>Astros get disappointing Yordan Alvarez update after Lance McCullers Jr. injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-02-24T08:50:38-08:00">February 24th, 8:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-02-24T08:50:38-08:00">February 24th, 8:50am</time><address><a>Sam DiGiovanni</a>Sam DiGiovanni started at ClutchPoints as an associate editor in 2021 and became the site's Philadelphia 76ers beat reporter ahead of the 2022-23 season. He graduated from Marist College in May of 2022 and has written for TheKnicksWall.com and CenterFieldMarist.com in the past.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros are getting back to work and looking to repeat as World Series champions. Meanwhile, superstar slugger Yordan Alvarez is simply trying to get back to full health as he deals with an injury in his left hand. It’s a key situation to monitor as the season approaches.</p><p>Alvarez is <a href="https://twitter.com/Chandler_Rome/status/1629143490436206592?s=20" rel="noopener">not taking part in on-field drills</a> during the Astros’ Spring training in West Palm Beach, Florida, according to Chandler Rome of the Hoston Chronicle. He said that the issue in his hand flared up during the offseason.</p><p>“Yordan Alvarez is still not participating in any on-field drills with the Astros. Dusty Baker said today there is no update on his progress or prognosis,” Rome writes.</p><p>Alvarez said previously that his hand issue will not deter him <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-yordan-alvarez-makes-concerning-admission-ahead-of-houston-spring-training" rel="noopener">once the season begins</a>. Having him healthy is extremely important for the Astros as they look to shift him more into the outfield. He played 42 percent of his starts in left field last season and played the position in just 30 percent of his starts the prior season. While his hitting is undeniably impressive, Houston is looking to make him a dependable fielder as well.</p><p>The Astros dealing with an injury to Alvarez is made worse with Lance McCullers Jr. being <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-lance-mccullers-jr-to-miss-opening-day-with-injury" rel="noopener">ruled out for Opening Day due</a> to a muscle strain. The starting pitching rotation still has Cristian Javier and Framber Valdez but losing out on having McCullers for the season opener is unfortunate. Seeing Alvarez have any setbacks would be a huge disappointment.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros get disappointing Yordan Alvarez update after Lance McCullers Jr. injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-yordan-alvarez-makes-concerning-admission-ahead-of-houston-spring-training');   ga('set', 'title', 'Yordan Alvarez makes concerning admission ahead of Houston spring training');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Yordan-Alvarez-Astros.jpg"></figure><h1>Yordan Alvarez makes concerning admission ahead of Houston spring training</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-02-21T07:34:59-08:00">February 21st, 7:34am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-02-21T07:35:43-08:00">February 21st, 7:35am</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>A Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, Rex claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-yordan-alvarez-gets-real-on-astros-call-to-replace-yuli-gurriel-with-jose-abreu" rel="noopener">Houston Astros star Yordan Alvarez</a> isn’t quite yet ready to give his 100% as he is apparently dealing with an issue in his left hand, which he admits is something that needs to be <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/astros/article/houston-astros-yordan-alvarez-limited-camp-sore-17796344.php" rel="noopener">kept a close eye</a> on, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle.</p><p><i>“It did flare up a little bit in the offseason, but I came to camp and spoke to the team and it’s just something we’re going to monitor,” Alvarez said through an interpreter. “I felt a little bit of discomfort but it’s something we’re going to monitor and work on. I’m going to take the next couple days off here, but it’s not something that’s going to be an issue during the season.”</i></p><p>That problem with his hand isn’t new to Alvarez and the Astros, as he also dealt with that issue in the 2022 MLB season. However, Yordan Alvarez braved it and somehow found his way earning his first All-Star nod. In 2022, Alvarez hit .306 and posted a .406 OBP and .613 slugging percentage. He also recorded 37 home runs to go along with 97 RBI and 78 walks. His 187 OPS+ in 2022 was the highest so far of his career.</p><p>Yordan Alvarez has plenty of great years ahead of him, which is scary to think about for opposing pitchers. At just 25 years old, Alvarez’s best form is likely still in front of him.</p><p>While Alvarez did not sound too concerned about his hand issue, the Astros would definitely want to see him get over it as soon as possible, as they increase the intensity of their preparation for their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-3-bold-predictions-2023-mlb-season-spring-training" rel="noopener">World Series title defense</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Yordan Alvarez makes concerning admission ahead of Houston spring training

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/jose-altuve-strong-take-on-astros-yordan-alvarez-will-put-the-rest-of-mlb-on-notice');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jose Altuve’s strong take on Astros’ Yordan Alvarez will put the rest of MLB on notice');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Astros-news-Jose-Altuve_s-strong-take-on-Yordan-Alvarez-will-put-the-rest-of-MLB-on-notice.jpg"></figure><h1>Jose Altuve’s strong take on Astros’ Yordan Alvarez will put the rest of MLB on notice</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-01-22T15:06:22-08:00">January 22nd, 3:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-01-22T21:24:55-08:00">January 22nd, 9:24pm</time><address><a>Steve Zavala</a>Steve is a freelance writer covering the world of sports for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-yordan-alvarez-gets-real-on-astros-call-to-replace-yuli-gurriel-with-jose-abreu" rel="noopener">Yordan Alvarez</a> will be among the players who will lead the charge for the Houston Astros in their upcoming World Series title defense.</p><p>Alvarez is coming off of a standout 2022 campaign where he posted career highs in several stats, including OPS+ (187). He also finished in third place in the 2022 American League MVP Award vote. While he had a fair share of ups and downs over the postseason, he did end up tallying 14 RBI in the team’s World Series-winning run.</p><p>For Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, he <a href="https://twitter.com/OurEsquina/status/1616891665041739778?s=20" rel="noopener">believes</a> that Alvarez is the clear-cut best hitter in all of baseball today.</p><p>“For me right now, he’s the best hitter in baseball,” Altuve said during the Astros’ FanFest event on Saturday.</p><p>“He’s better than people think.”</p><p>As it stands, Alvarez is slated to once again alternate between the left field and the designated hitter positions for the Astros in the 2023 season. He may also be penciled in to be their everyday cleanup hitter. The one-time All-Star logged 63 starts at the No. 4 spot in Houston’s batting order last year.</p><p>The Astros head into the upcoming 2023 campaign with an eye on becoming the first team in the 21st century to repeat as World Series champions.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Yordan Alvarez

Latest Yordan Alvarez News

3 bold predictions for Astros, Yordan Alvarez ahead of Opening Day

Astros’ Dusty Baker drops major Yordan Alvarez injury update

Astros get disappointing Yordan Alvarez update after Lance McCullers Jr. injury

Yordan Alvarez makes concerning admission ahead of Houston spring training

Jose Altuve’s strong take on Astros’ Yordan Alvarez will put the rest of MLB on notice

Yordan
Alvarez