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Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has been placed on the 10-day IL. On Thursday, the slugger was removed from the game against the Cleveland Guardians with right oblique discomfort.
The move will surely hurt this team's offense, as Alvarez has been on a tear this season. He's hitting .272/.384/.579 with 17 home runs. As one of the league's top hitters, the team hopes his injury is minor.
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Alvarez has primarily been used as the team's designated hitter but has also spent some time on the outfield. He's played 22 games in left field as Houston has struggled with outfield depth this season.
Injuries throughout the year have plagued this team. They started the season without their All-Star shortstop Jose Altuve. Outfielder Michael Brantley still hasn't made his season debut as he's dealing with shoulder inflammation.
"This has been a tough season even with all the successes amongst the pitching staff, but it feels like the wheels are about to come off" - one fan tweeted.
"I'm about to scream (again)" - another fan tweeted.
Houston Astros fans are worried their offense will become stagnant without Yordan Alvarez. Others will have to step up in his absence, or it will be a long couple of weeks.
Given all the team has gone through, this was the last thing fans wanted to see. They hope the team can find a way to stay afloat until Alvarez is healthy.
Yordan Alvarez isn't the only player the Houston Astros have on the IL
Yordan Alvarez isn't the only Houston Astros player dealing with an injury at the moment. Michael Brantley has been on the IL since the start of the season. He's recently been shut down indefinitely with his shoulder inflammation.
Brantley hasn't appeared in a game for Houston since June 26th, 2022. He had surgery to repair his labrum, the same shoulder that is giving him problems now, and that's not a good sign.
Another player Houston sent to the IL recently is pitcher Luis Garcia. He exited a May 1 start after a handful of pitches and will have Tommy John surgery, ending his season.
These are some brutal injuries to some key players for Houston. They must dig deep and get through this to make another run in the postseason. While they are second in the American League West, the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners are on their heels.
