Losing your top slugger is never ideal, but the Houston Astros might be onto something with their latest roster move. Yordan Alvarez’s injury opens the door for lineup experimentation — and a chance for unexpected players to make their mark.
Astros’ Lineup Flexibility Grows With the Addition of César Salazar
The Astros, struggling with their offense at the start of the 2025 season, made a big roster change on Monday, May 5, 2025, by putting their star DH on the 10-day injured list because of inflammation in his right hand.
The team brought back Salazar from Triple-A Sugar Land to fill a spot on the active roster. Salazar, who hits left-handed, has a .197 batting average in the minors this season and played in 12 games last season. This move gives manager Joe Espada more options for his lineup.
“We gotta get him right, and I think with a few more days of rest, I think it will benefit him, and hopefully we get him back by the homestand,” Espada said via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. “He’s flying back to Houston today to see the doctors and get some imaging and make sure that we’re on the right track.”
With him around, Yainer Diaz or Victor Caratini can take on the designated hitter role when they’re not behind the plate, plus it gives Espada the chance to pinch-run for one of his catchers late in the game without stressing about losing catching options.
Now that Salazar is on the team, Espada can have both Diaz and Caratini in the lineup, possibly using Caratini as the DH to cover some of the at-bats left by Alvarez.
Chandler Rome of NYTimes.com mentioned that Zach Dezenzo could be a solid choice for designated hitter at-bats, and he could also step in as the main backup left fielder behind Jose Altuve.
The Astros set Alvarez’s IL date to May 3, making him eligible to return by May 12, when they start their homestand against the Kansas City Royals at Daikin Park.
It looks like Espada is playing it safe, putting Alvarez’s complete recovery first instead of hurrying him back.
“We want to make sure he feels comfortable and he’s back 100 percent, and we can keep him in the lineup for the long run,” Espada told Rome.
So far in the 2025 season, Alvarez hasn’t been performing well at the plate. He’s hitting .210 with a .306 on-base and a .340 slugging percentage, racking up three home runs and 18 RBIs over 121 plate appearances.
His performance has really dropped compared to his 2022 season, where he ended up third in AL MVP voting with 37 home runs and a 1.019 OPS. Lately, he’s been struggling, especially in the 12 games since April 18, hitting just .190/.265/.310 with only one home run — a 436-foot shot against the Kansas City Royals on April 27.