Alvarez rejoins team after hospital stay
ATLANTA — Yordan Alvarez was released from an Atlanta hospital late Friday night and reported to Truist Park on Saturday, one day after experiencing shortness of breath during the Astros’ 6-2 loss against the
Braves.
All of Alvarez’s medical tests came back “normal,” according to the Astros. A team spokesman said Alvarez could not address the media prior to Saturday’s game due to the treatment he was receiving at the ballpark.
“He’s better,” manager Dusty Baker said on Saturday. “We still have to watch him. He’s still under (something) similar to a concussion protocol.
You don’t want him to maybe fall out. They couldn’t find anything, but that don’t mean nothing’s wrong. We’re just going to wait today, see how he is tomorrow.”
Alvarez did not start Saturday’s game against the Braves, but the Astros did keep him on their active roster. Baker did not answer whether Alvarez would be available to play on Saturday. He said Alvarez could “probably” serve as the designated hitter on Sunday “if he’s feeling all right.”
Baker said doctors could not determine what caused the 25-year-old Alvarez to feel short of breath. The manager said Alvarez began to feel uneasy while running the bases during Friday’s game, but Alvarez struck out in each of the two at-bats he took.
On Saturday, Baker again made mention of the fireworks at Truist Park that explode after Atlanta hits a home run or its opponent strikes out. Humidity on Friday night allowed the smoke to linger longer in the air.
Alvarez exited Friday’s game with two outs in the fifth inning. He sprinted into the dugout during a delay in play while Braves second baseman Vaughn Grissom walked off a painful foul ball off his foot. Before Grissom took his at-bat, Eddie Rosario sent a single to Alvarez’s feet in left field.
“Every time they strike us out, they got the fireworks with the smoke,” Baker said. “Then he bent down to pick up a ground ball (from Rosario) and that’s when he came off the field. He was trying to wait until the middle of the inning, but he said ‘Man, I got to go.’”
First-round pick out for the season
Astros first-round draft pick Drew Gilbert will miss the remainder of the minor league season after doctors discovered a dislocation in his right elbow.
Gilbert was originally diagnosed with a right forearm contusion after colliding with the centerfield wall Aug. 13 while playing for Class A Fayetteville.
According to the Astros, Gilbert was re-examined in Houston this week. The team said Gilbert “had sustained a dislocated right elbow that spontaneously went back into place before he was examined.”
The team said Gilbert will miss the remainder of the season “while undergoing rehab on his elbow” and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training.
Gilbert appeared in 10 games prior to his injury — four in the Florida
Complex League and six others with Class A Fayetteville. The 21-year-old outfielder went 10-for-39 with two home runs.
The Astros selected Gilbert with the 28th overall pick in last July’s draft. He received a $2.5 million signing bonus. MLB Pipeline now ranks him as Houston’s No. 2 overall prospect behind pitcher Hunter Brown. Baseball America pegs Gilbert No. 3 behind Brown and catcher Yainer Diaz.
Hensley called up from Sugar Land
In need of more versatility on their infield, the Astros called up utilityman David Hensley prior to Saturday night’s game against the Braves, putting the former 26th round pick in line for his major league debut.
The Astros optioned J.J. Matijevic to Class AAA Sugar Land to clear a spot on the 26-man roster. The club designated lefthander Jonathan Bermudez for assignment to add Hensley to the 40-man roster.
Hensley slashed .298/ .420/.478 in 464 plate appearances at Class
AAA Sugar Land this season. The Astros selected him in the 26th round of the 2018 draft out of San Diego State University.
Hensley stands 6-foot-6 and can play all four infield positions. The Astros exposed him to left field at Class AAA Sugar Land, too, but he could be ticketed for more infield play at the major league level.
Aledmys Díaz’s groin injury deprived the Astros of their primary utility infielder up the middle. Matijevic is more accustomed to playing both corner infield spots. Before Saturday’s game, manager Dusty Baker expressed concern about both Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman, both of whom have “played a lot.”
Altuve required a visit from athletic trainer Jeremiah Randall after legging out an infield single during Friday’s 6-2 loss, but remained in the game.
“I really have to watch Jose,” Baker said on Saturday. “Last night I didn’t like how he was moving around a little bit. He said he’s OK. Everybody was on my lineup before, but I’m trying to take care of guys that are playing a lot, especially Yuli (Gurriel). Mainly Bregman, but it’s hard to take him out as hot as he is. We really miss Díaz a lot.”
Hensley started at least 15 games at every infield position for Sugar Land this season.
Dodgers rout Space Cowboys
One night after Sugar Land set a scoring record in a rout of Oklahoma City, the Dodgers returned the favor on Saturday night by hitting five home runs for a 13-5 rout of the Space Cowboys at Constellation Field.
Edwin Díaz homered for the Space Cowboys, who fell behind 8-0 in the third.
Sugar Land set a franchise record by scoring 17 runs in the sixth inning of the second game of Friday’s doubleheader. The 21-4 win featured the most runs scored in an inning in Space Cowboys history, and the 21 runs were the second most in franchise history, trailing only a 24-run effort on June 10, 2021, in El Paso.