The Astros forced Alvarez to have a fracture in his right hand, and his comeback was delayed

Astros general manager Dana Brown revealed before the 16-3 loss to the Rays at Daikin Park on Saturday afternoon that heavy gunner Yordan Alvarez had a "very small fracture" in his right hand. The team thought he was back this weekend — Alvarez had a hands-on strike practice against two minor league pitchers on Friday, but a new injury forced him to stop swinging his bat. Brown table

The fracture of Alvarez's fourth metacarpal has healed 60 per cent and the return time is "sooner than later", but no specific timeline was provided. The timing of the fracture is unknown.

An MRI on May 6 initially diagnosed a muscle strain in his right hand, and Brown explained that the swelling and inflammation of the hand masked the signs of a fracture. Alvarez believes the swing over the past week may have exacerbated the injury, but fortunately no surgery was needed. "We tried to schedule his return this weekend and then realised 'if the pain persists, more imaging is needed,'" Brown said, "and at the moment we want him to come back in the near future." Now that the healing has begun and he feels better, we think the time may be near. Alvarez may have felt mild pain due to focused training, which prompted us to add imaging tests. "

Alvarez, through his translator Otto Loor, explained that he suffered a hand injury due to his swing at the end of April, but chose to play with an injury due to a similar injury in the past. He was removed from the starting list before the match against the White Sox on May 3 and was placed on the 10-day wounded list on May 5. "I didn't think the injury was serious," Alvaré admitted, "and the continued play caused more pressure on my hand and ended up with a minor fracture. "

Since Alvarez's absence, the Astros have a 15-14 record. The 27-year-old heavy gunner is experiencing an unusual slump – after three hits in three consecutive years of 30 hits this season, he has just three hits per 100. "We will continue to move forward," stressed coach Joe Espada, "and it is in the DNA of the team. We've been through a similar situation and the players understand that you have to find a way forward. When he returns, the team will improve. "

This is the second consecutive year that the Astros have suffered a star hitter's misdiagnosis of fractures: on June 3 last year, outfielder Kyle Tucker hit his tibia with a hit ball, and the first diagnosis was a tibial contusion; Three months after the swelling subsided, a tibial fracture was diagnosed. "Calcium deposits take about five weeks to develop, which is a difficult diagnosis," Brown explains, "and when the images are filled with fluid and inflammation, the diagnosis is extremely difficult... This is not only happening in us, but also in other teams – the initial diagnosis does not reveal the problem, the players have persistent pain and discomfort and require a second imaging, and sometimes a third party diagnosis. "

Alvarez confirmed that the MRI after training on Friday was reviewed by a non-team-affiliated physician (this is the standard secondary diagnostic procedure). "The diagnosis of a fracture is not unexpected," he says, "and the first MRI has shown an abnormality." A muscle strain was treated, but it did not improve as expected over time. "With only 60 per cent of the injury healed and needing to regain swing before returning, it is reasonable to assume that he will be out for several weeks.

"I'd like to have a magic orb to predict the return date," Alvarez said helplessly, "but the good news is that heals well, and I need to stop swinging my stick and recuperate—continuing to practice will only delay recovery." "