Astros’ Yordan Alvarez Receives Injections for Hand Injury, Shut Down from Activities

DENVER — Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez received two injections in his injured right hand and will be shut down from baseball activities for the immediate future, the team announced on Thursday morning.

In a five-paragraph news release that described the diagnosis as “encouraging news,” the Astros said imaging revealed inflammation “is the main cause” of Alvarez’s current pain.

Alvarez reported soreness to team officials one day after facing live pitching at the team’s spring training complex in West Palm Beach, Fla. Alvarez’s previous injury is considered “a non-factor,” according to the team.

“There’s no pain due to the fracture or anything like that,” Brown said on Thursday morning. “It’s more the inflamed area, where he received the shots.”

Neither the Astros’ statement nor Brown specified a timetable for Alvarez to resume swinging, but Brown said “it could be in the near future.” Alvarez visited a hand specialist on Wednesday and is not with the team on its current road trip.

Alvarez has not appeared in a game since May 2 while enduring a whirlwind rehab from what the Astros initially described as a muscle strain in the top of his right hand. On May 31, after allowing Alvarez to take live batting practice at Daikin Park, the team acknowledged he sustained a fracture in his right hand, which further stalled his comeback.

As the Astros awoke on Thursday, they stood at 36-20 in the 56 games Alvarez has missed. However, the team is starting to feel the impact of other injuries, including shortstop Jeremy Peña, who fractured a left rib.