The Houston Astros have allowed 30 runs in their last three games and will now be without Yordan Álvarez for the foreseeable future. While Álvarez hasn’t appeared in a game since May 2, the Astros have officially shut him down after additional imaging revealed a small fracture to his hand. With him now placed on the 10-day injured list, Houston has called up its No. 2 prospect, Jacob Melton.
Astros General Manager Provides Update on Yordan Álvarez’s Injury
Up until his absence, Álvarez had been struggling all season, hitting just .210. He played in only one game in May, going 0-for-4 against the Chicago White Sox in his last outing.
That came after a slow April, where he hit .238. With just three home runs and 18 RBIs through his first 100 at-bats, it was clear something wasn’t right with the 27-year-old, and the move to the IL confirmed the team’s concern.
Dana Brown gives an update on Yordan Alvarez pic.twitter.com/o240p5xMg0
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) May 31, 2025
Houston general manager Dana Brown gave an update, saying, “The muscle strain was real. I really think that when he was fighting through those weeks, knowing that it wasn’t the same feeling he had in the past, maybe that’s when he may have caused a little more damage.”
Brown added, “We didn’t see it in the May 6 imaging because of the inflammation and fluid, but now that has subsided, we were able to see callus buildup, which tells us that there was a fracture. He’s 60% healed.”
The Astros had hoped Álvarez would return in time for the series against the Tampa Bay Rays, and although he was able to make contact in workouts, he still felt discomfort. Had he gone on the IL originally, Álvarez’s recovery might have been smoother. Now, the Astros will have to wait even longer to get their star slugger back in the lineup.
Source: The #Astros are calling up #2 prospect Outfielder Jacob Melton pic.twitter.com/ZgzazoTNbP
— Ari Alexander (@AriA1exander) June 1, 2025
With Álvarez sidelined, it’s no surprise that Melton is getting the call up. Ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the organization, Melton has spent all of 2025 in Triple-A. After logging 173 at-bats with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys last season, the 24-year-old was hitting .254 through 59 at-bats this year.
A second-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft (No. 64 overall), Melton is now set to make his big-league debut. And he’ll do so as the Astros look to even the series against the Rays at Daikin Park. Houston was able to squeeze out a victory in Game 2 of the four-game series between the two teams, but Tampa Bay has outscored its conference rival 30-8 thus far through the first three games.
In Álvarez’s absence, Melton brings strong defense and a hot bat to Houston. His OPS sits at a career-high .879 as he looks to keep that momentum going.