Astros GM Dana Brown mentioned star slugger Yordan Alvarez’s well being throughout an look on an ESPN sport broadcast as we speak, telling ESPN broadcasters that “He ought to positively be again for Opening Day. His fingers had been slightly sore. He had a few of that final yr, however we really feel completely assured that he’ll be in video games someplace halfway by (Spring Coaching). However he’s already feeling lots higher.”
The information that Alvarez ought to be prepared for opening day is definitely a reduction for Astros followers, because the slugger is among the many most necessary gamers within the star-studded Astros lineup that took residence a World Collection championship in 2022. Alvarez hit an astonishing .306/.406/.613 with 37 residence runs in simply 135 video games final season. By measure of wRC+, Alvarez was 85% higher than the league common hitter in 2022, a unbelievable determine solely topped by reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge final yr.
As Brown talked about, Alvarez handled hand points all through the 2022 season, occurring the injured record in July and lacking time with the difficulty sometimes all through the season. These points clearly didn’t hamper his manufacturing in 2022, so the truth that Alvarez is just not anticipated to overlook time to open the common season is an encouraging improvement as he appears to be like to comply with up on a season that cemented him among the many finest hitters in all the sport and the Astros look to carry off the Mariners, Angels, and Rangers in an AL West that ought to see all 4 golf equipment vying for playoff spots this season. That being mentioned, the scenario will stay one to keep watch over till Alvarez returns to sport motion, as he’s at the moment slated to do subsequent month.
Extra from across the American League…
- Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres did a Q&A with The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner as we speak, the place the pair mentioned an space of subjects, together with the current commerce rumors which have swirled round Torres. Within the interview, Torres notes that he loves taking part in in New York and want to spend the remainder of his profession with the Yankees, although he did word that listening to in regards to the commerce rumors was “actually laborious”, notably across the commerce deadline final season, and that although his representatives have spoken to the entrance workplace a couple of potential extension, he hasn’t had any conversations with GM Brian Cashman or Supervisor Aaron Boone on the topic personally. Torres, who slashed .257/.310/.451 (115 wRC+) final yr, is about to hit free company following the 2024 marketing campaign.
- One other participant who discovered himself within the rumor mill this offseason was Mariners right-hander Chris Flexen. As Flexen told Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times and different reporters, the expertise of anticipating a commerce was a harrowing one for him, as nicely. “It wasn’t the perfect, however I’m nonetheless carrying ‘Mariners’ throughout my chest. I’m joyful to be right here.” Flexen was pushed to the bullpen down the stretch final season following Seattle’s acquisition of ace Luis Castillo, and there doesn’t look like a clearer path to the rotation coming into 2023, although the Mariners are at the moment stretching him out in case of harm. Nonetheless, Flexen excelled out of the bullpen in 2022, posting a 1.62 ERA in 16 2/3 innings as a reliever final yr, so a return to the bullpen may nonetheless see Flexen impression the membership in a significant means headed into the common season.
