This Astros’ gamble is paying massive dividends in wake of Yordan Alvarez injury

The Houston Astros' playoff hopes were dealt a considerable blow Monday night when slugger Yordan Alvarez left the game against the Texas Rangers with an ankle sprain. The injury appears to be significant, which is a huge blow for the team.

Even with Alvarez putting up the stellar numbers we've been accustomed to, the Astros' lineup has struggled significantly in recent weeks, as the team watched its lead in the AL West evaporate, eventually being surpassed in the standings by the rival Seattle Mariners.

Losing Alvarez stings for yet another reason. Houston has struggled to find left-handed bats that can produce on a consistent basis. There was hope that trade deadline acquisition Jesus Sanchez could provide some pop from the lefty box, but despite an initial flurry, his .660 OPS since arriving in Houston has left much to be desired.

However, with that, an overlooked prospect has been heating up in his first taste of big league action, and he could take advantage of the star slugger's absence, potentially saving the day.

Overlooked Astros prospect Zach Cole could save the day in the wake of Yordan Alvarez's injury

Though he was only called up less than a week ago, Zach Cole has wasted no time in making an impact. Cole has already clubbed two dingers in five big league games, including a huge go-ahead two-run shot on Monday when he was summoned from the bench to replace the injured Alvarez.

Although it's a small sample size, the youngster is tearing the cover off the ball with a .375/.474/.750 line. For those who don't follow Houston's farm system closely, you'd be forgiven for believing that he's one of the club's top prospects. Instead, Cole ranks just 19th on MLB.com's Top 30 Astros prospects list.

Given the low opinion around the league regarding Houston's farm system, that ranking might make him easy to overlook. That's nothing new for Cole, a 10th-round pick by the Astros back in 2022, who barely saw the field during his first two years at Ball State before starting his junior year ice-cold. A hot streak to close the year was enough to pique the Astros' interest and take a late-round flier on him.

Since then, Cole has mostly hit throughout his time in the minor leagues, with his big glow-up coming this season. Beginning the year with Double-A Corpus Christi, Cole posted a .267/.363/.505 line with 14 homers over 82 games. That performance earned him a promotion to Triple-A Sugar Land in late August, where he turned things up another notch, slashing .353/.459/.745 with five long balls in just 15 games.

The lefty-swinging outfielder is a toolshed. With a ton of raw power, speed, and the athleticism to play center field at a high level, the sky is the limit for Cole, who could be destined for stardom. One thing he'll have to iron out, though, is the strikeouts, running a 35.1% K-rate combined over his time at Corpus Christi and Sugar Land. If he can harness the hit tool, watch out!

Unfortunately, due to his late promotion, Cole will not be eligible for the postseason roster, but in the meantime, he can fill the void left by Alvarez, both in terms of production from the left side and in the outfield. If he continues this hot streak to end the season, he could have an inside track to the opening day roster in 2026.

For now, the Astros are just glad he's arrived in time to help offset the devastating loss of Alvarez and keep their playoff hopes alive.

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