Yordan Alvarez Bounces Back From Knee Injury, Returns to Houston Astros' Lineup

Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez, who missed the last five games with a right knee sprain, is starting at designated hitter in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday.

Sep 22, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; 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

Yordan Alvarez will bat second and serve as the Houston Astros' designated hitter on Tuesday, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart and The Athletic's Chandler Rome were first to report.

Alvarez was out for the final week of the regular season, missing five games with a right knee sprain he suffered on Sept. 22. He took part in some hitting and running drills on Monday, and it turns out he was cleared to return.

As a result, the 27-year-old slugger is back in the lineup for Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Detroit Tigers.

Manager Joe Espada told reporters that Alvarez is not 100%, and that he may not be able to run full speed or slide. Still, having his bat in the lineup was something Espada did not want to pass up.

The Astros are carrying 15 position players and 11 pitchers on their Wild Card roster, a byproduct of Yordan Alvarez not being 100 percent. Alvarez won’t be running at full speed and don’t expect him to slide, but as Joe Espada said.

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) October 1, 2024

Alvarez has been a key contributor for the Astros ever since he made his MLB debut in 2019. He boasts a .298 batting average and a .973 OPS over the last six seasons, ranking fourth and second in in all of baseball those respective categories in that span. Per 162 games, the three-time All-Star averages 42 home runs, 120 RBI and 6.1 WAR.

In the postseason, Alvarez has been just as dominant. He is a .295 hitter with 12 home runs, 41 RBI and a .949 OPS across 58 career playoff games, winning ALCS MVP in 2021 and a World Series ring in 2022.

Alvarez hit .318 in six games against the Tigers this season, but his OPS in those games was a mere .668. He is 2-for-10 with one walk and two RBI in his career against Tarik Skubal, who is Detroit's Game 1 starting pitcher.

Here is the Astros' full lineup for their first playoff game of 2024:

1. Jose Altuve, 2B
2. Yordan Alvarez, DH
3. Kyle Tucker, RF
4. Alex Bregman, 3B
5. Yanier Diaz, C
6. Jeremy Peña, SS
7. Victor Caratini, 1B
8. Mauricio Dubón, LF
9. Jake Meyers, CF
SP: Framber Valdez, LHP

First pitch from Minute Maid Park is scheduled for 2:32 p.m. ET.

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