May 18, 2025 6:01 PM : Manager Joe Espada said Sunday that Alvarez is improving every day but is still feeling the muscle strain in his right hand that landed him on the injured list May 5, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: The 27-year-old was initially expected to be activated when first eligible early last week, but he's been unable to completely move past the hand injury to this point. Espada indicated the Astros want to make sure the issue "completely goes away" before bringing Alvarez back, so it sounds as though the organization is taking a cautious approach. Prior to the landing on the shelf, Alvarez had yet to look much like himself in 2025 with just three homers and a .646 OPS through 29 games.