Astros slugger Alvarez hospitalized with shortness of breath

Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez was taken to a hospital during Friday night’s game against Atlanta because of shortness of breath that was exacerbated by the Braves’ ingame fireworks, Houston manager Dusty Baker said.

Alvarez departed the game under his own power with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. There was a pause in the action when Braves rookie Vaughn Grissom fouled a ball off his foot and was being tended to by a trainer.

That’s when Alvarez, who is batting .295 with 31 homers and 77 RBIs, made his break for the Houston dugout.

“He’s being analyzed by the doctors,” Baker said. “They said all his vitals are good. He’s feeling normal but he still has to see our doctor. He was just, he had shortness of breath, and then when they shot the fireworks off, the smoke kind of made it worse.

“I’m glad we got him out when we did because I looked up and he was in the dugout and it was kind of a scary moment because it could be anything, but they said he’s doing fine at the moment.”

■ BRAVES: Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna was arrested early Friday morning and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

Ozuna spoke to reporters for 18 seconds before the game against the Houston Astros. He made a statement, but didn’t take any questions.

“I disappointed my team,” he said. “I disappointed my family. I don’t have anything to say more. It’s a legal matter.”

It was the second arrest in as many years for Ozuna. He was arrested on May 29, 2021, on charges of aggravated assault by strangulation and battery after police officers said they witnessed him attacking his wife. Those charges were dropped after he completed a pretrial diversion program.

Ozuna, 31, is in his third season in Atlanta and in the second year of a $65 million, four-year contract. He hit .338 and led the National League with 18 homers and 56 RBIs in 2020, but has dropped below .215 for two consecutive seasons.

■ WHITE SOX: The Chicago White Sox signed Elvis Andrus for the remainder of the season on Friday, adding a veteran shortstop who can fill in for injured All-Star Tim Anderson.

Andrus, who turns 34 next week, recently cleared waivers after being designated for assignment by the Oakland Athletics. Andrus gives the White Sox experience with Anderson expected to be out until late September after having surgery for a torn ligament in his left middle finger on Aug. 11.

Andrus is a career .270 hitter with 324 steals in 14 seasons with the Texas Rangers and Athletics. He batted .237 with eight homers and 30 RBIs in 106 games with Oakland and committed nine errors in 101 games at shortstop.