Alvarez, Urquidy cleared, remain on IL

Yordan Alvarez and Jose Urquidy cleared a crucial obstacle for a return on Friday, but their Astros arrival is nowhere near imminent.

Absent for 21 days of summer camp under mysterious circumstances, both Alvarez and Urquidy were cleared to resume baseball activities on Friday. They will report to the Astros’ alternate training site at Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi to prepare for an eventual reunion with the major league team.

Alvarez and Urquidy will remain on the injured list. Pitchers Ralph Garza, Cionel Perez and Shawn Dubin, also on the injured list for unknown causes, were also cleared for baseball activities on Friday.

“They both missed a lot of time,” manager Dusty Baker said of Alvarez and Urquidy. “It’s going to take almost equal time that they missed to get back. We’ll be in constant contact with the people down in Corpus. We’re relying on their opinion of them and their progress. “They’re behind.” Neither Alvarez nor Urquidy had reported to summer camp because of what the team described as a “condition that prevented them from reporting to the field.” Questions about their condition or what — if anything — ailed them were all met with the same response.

Baker again declined comment on the cause for their absence on Friday. The manager acknowledged that neither Alvarez nor Urquidy participated in any baseball activities during their time away, suggesting the duo could require a long ramp-up in Corpus Christi before any major league action is discussed.

“It varies per person,” Baker said of any possible timeline. “I know they’ll probably say they’re ready sooner than they are. No matter what they tell me, I’ll probably still give them a couple days because I know how anxious players are to get back.”

Speculation around

Alvarez’s absence has dominated the Astros’ recent summer camp workouts. He suffered persistent knee soreness throughout his dominant 2019 season and in spring training. On July 3, when the Astros reported for summer camp, general manager James Click said there were “some good days and some bad days” with Alvarez’s knees while he trained in Tampa, Fla., during the shutdown.

“But the last I heard, he was full, ready to go,” Click said that day.

Logic suggests that Alvarez, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, could be available before Urquidy. Pitchers require rest in their ramp-up and generally are brought along slower than position players.

How that impacts Urquidy’s eventual role is unknown. In spring training, the Astros hoped Urquidy could slot into their starting rotation following his dazzling major league debut last season.

Urquidy spun five fabulous innings in Game 4 of the World Series last year, too, inviting hope he could stabilize the back of Houston’s rotation for the foreseeable future. Instead, the team is still left wondering what he may provide in a shortened 60game season.

“They’re very important, especially when you’re losing some starting pitching that you just replaced,” Baker said. “They’re very important. We have to do what we can and the best we can until we get our reinforcements back.”

Bregman hoping to skip slow start

Few criticisms exist for Alex Bregman’s on-field performance. One valid complaint could derail his 2020 season — notoriously slow starts.

In each of his three full major league seasons, Bregman finished his first 30 games with unflattering numbers. He had a .684 OPS after the first 30 games in 2017 and posted a .717 clip in the same timeframe in 2018.

Last season saw a better clip — .260/.392/.481 for an .873 OPS — but it was a far cry from the .296 batting average and 1.015 OPS with which Bregman ended his season. He joked on Friday he’s had to “rally” late in the season to compensate for early misery.

Time doesn’t exist for such a tactic this season. Any similar starts in a 60-game season could leave Bregman reeling and the Astros without their most dynamic offensive player.

“Normally it is a marathon, but this year it’s a sprint, which is why I treated spring training and this summer camp like it was part of the regular season, kind of a shift in mindset,” Bregman said. “There is no time for slow starts here.”

In both spring training and summer camp, Bregman altered his focus and diet. He reported to West Palm Beach, Fla., in February lighter — in mid-season weight — so he could achieve more mobility and play with more freedom. In summer camp, Bregman said he “put a lot of pressure” on himself to succeed in the few live at-bats he received.

“(I wasn’t) satisfied with anything less than doing well,” Bregman said.

DH Diaz leaves with groin injury

Astros designated hitter Aledmys Diaz exited during the sixth inning of Friday’s regular-season opener against the Mariners with right groin discomfort.

Diaz took two at-bats before his injury. He laced a single to start a five-run fifth inning. Diaz scored the first run of the frame and his trip around the bases apparently caused his discomfort.

Diaz ran from first to third on Seattle third baseman Kyle Seager’s throwing error and scored on an infield single from Jose Altuve.