Houston Astros: Five Questions Entering September

Will Yordan Alvarez’s wrist issues continue to hamper his production?

August was not a kind month to Yordan Alvarez. For the month, he has slashed .234/.326/.312 (BA/OBP/SLG), hitting a solitary home run while striking out twice as much as he’s walked.

He’s had a lingering wrist injury that now, due to overcompensation, has caused his left wrist to feel pain when he swings. It’s not clear if this is a situation similar to Alex Bregman last year where he is just going to have to tough it out until he can get surgery in the offseason, but it is certainly sounding reminiscent of that.

If Alvarez’s power is sapped by his wrist injuries, it could spell disaster for the Astros, though ironically a healthy Bregman could cover up for some of Yordan’s lessened production as we’ve seen so far this month.

Suffice it to say, both the Astros’ best pitcher and MVP for the year couldn’t be getting hurt at a worse time considering they have zero chance to rehab should they need extended time on the shelf.