Alvarez not swinging as he rests sore hand
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Slugger Yordan Alvarez is not swinging a bat after reporting to spring training with left hand soreness, he revealed before the Astros’ first fullsquad workout Tuesday.
Alvarez required a trip to the injured list last July with what the team described as “right hand discomfort.” He had issues with both hands at points last season, but no one with the team ever specified what ailed him. A similar vague tone was struck Tuesday.
“It did flare up a little bit in the offseason, but I came to camp and spoke to the team, and it’s just something we’re going to monitor,” Alvarez said Tuesday through an interpreter. “I felt a little bit of discomfort, but it’s something we’re going to monitor and work on. I’m going to take the next couple days off here, but it’s not something that’s going to be an issue during the season.”
Alvarez said he hopes to start swinging again “in a couple days.” He’s been limited to calisthenics and agility work during the early portion of spring training.
Despite his hand issues, Alvarez finished third in American League MVP voting last season. He hit a team-high 37 home runs, led the club with a 1.019 OPS and hit two of the team’s biggest playoff homers: one to win Game 1 of the American League Division Series and another to put Houston ahead for good in Game 6 of the World Series.
Alvarez arrived in West Palm Beach a few days before his fellow position players. He described meetings with the coaching and training staff in which it was suggested he take a few days off in spring training to save himself for the regular season.
Asked if Alvarez considered a surgical procedure during the offseason, manager Dusty Baker said doctors told him he didn’t need one.
“He doesn’t really know how he hurt it, but if you’re a ballplayer, sometimes you wake up sore and hurting,” Baker said. “We have to see how it comes out. We’ve got six weeks. He did pretty good last year, sometimes with a hurt hand. Hopefully it subsides and it feels better. Now’s not the time to panic.”
It’s almost guaranteed Alvarez will not play in the Astros’ Grapefruit League opener Saturday against the Mets. Because he is not playing for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic, Alvarez can focus on the one remedy he’s been told can help.
“I think the easy solution is just rest,” he said. “Obviously, I use my hands every day in the ballpark, but rest would be the biggest thing.”
Valdez comfortable with new ace status
Two terrific seasons have reset the expectations surrounding Framber Valdez, transforming him from afterthought to almost an ace. Justin Verlander’s departure from the Astros this winter cleared the only obstacle to Valdez assuming the title outright.
“I definitely feel a responsibility, but I don’t think I feel pressure in that regard,” Valdez said Tuesday through an interpreter. “We have a lot of great pitchers here, and trying to be the guy who leads them, I feel very responsible for that. I know there will be a little weight there to carry, but that’s something I’m willing to do, and I look forward to it.”
Valdez threw an American League-high 2011⁄3 innings last season and set a major league record with 25 consecutive quality starts. He finished fifth in American League Cy Young voting and collected two especially memorable victories: one in the All-Star Game and another in the Astros’ World Series clincher.
The spectacular season netted Valdez a substantial raise and led to speculation he could sign a long-term extension. Valdez settled with the Astros on a $6.8 million salary for the 2023 season, but general manager Dana Brown has made extending him and outfielder Kyle Tucker among his spring priorities.
“It feels good that he’s definitely thinking of me and that good things are being said,” Valdez said. “I think it’s something that would probably be good for my career, but those are things I’ll let my agent handle. He knows the most about it, and those things are a little bit out of my hands.”
Last week, Valdez’s agent, Ulises Cabrera, told the Chronicle that negotiations with Brown had not begun. The two men have since connected, but it is unclear how close a long-term pact is.
Given Valdez’s huge workload last season — and his increased importance in this one — the team asked him to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic, where he was scheduled to pitch alongside teammates Cristian Javier, Rafael Montero, Héctor Neris and Bryan Abreu for Team Dominican Republic.
“They preferred me to be here,” Valdez said. “I saw that positively, took it in a positive way. I just came here to try to continue working hard in spring training and get ready for the season.”
Thon’s son replaces Petit in Corpus Christi
Former University of Houston assistant coach Joe Thon, the son of former Astros infielder Dickie Thon, will manage the Astros’ Class AA Corpus Christi affiliate this season, farm director Sara Goodrum said Tuesday.
Joe Thon will replace Gregorio Petit, who left this winter to manage the Oakland Athletics’ Class A affiliate. Thon managed at Class A Fayetteville last season, finishing 55-77.
Thon has been a coach in the Astros’ organization since 2021. He spent the 2020 season as a volunteer assistant at the University of Houston.
The Astros still have not announced their minor league field staffs for the 2023 season, but Class AAA manager Mickey Storey is scheduled to return for his fourth season with Sugar Land.