ATLANTA — Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez left Friday’s 6-2 loss to the Braves in the fifth inning due to feeling ill. He was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation after being evaluated in the training room. The club announced on Saturday that all tests came back normal and Alvarez is at the ballpark and will undergo further evaluation.
He left the game with shortness of breath and made the decision to exit on his own. The Astros staff didn’t know a substitution was needed until he was already in the dugout.
“He had shortness of breath,” manager Dusty Baker said in his postgame press conference Friday. “Then when they shot the fireworks off, the smoke made it worse. I’m glad we got him out when we did because I looked up, and he was in the dugout. It was kind of a scary moment because it could be anything. They said that he’s doing fine at the moment.”
The 25-year-old has been a large part of Houston’s success this season. He’s played 40 games in left field and 61 as the designated hitter.
The left-handed batter has tormented pitchers since making his debut in 2019. The Cuba native is slashing .295/.400/.612 with 31 homers and 77 RBIs and was on an eight-game on-base streak.
In this World Series rematch, the slugger didn’t have a chance to get going, striking out in both of his first two plate appearances before feeling sick and leaving the game. It’s clear how crucial Alvarez’s offense is, as the Astros produced just two runs on seven hits.
A significant injury could make a postseason run more difficult, but standing 10 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Mariners in the American League West buys Alvarez and the Astros time to recuperate or compile a backup plan.
Mauricio Dubón was hitting in the cages underneath the dugout when Alvarez sprinted in. Baker had to make a quick defensive change and sent the 28-year-old outfielder to center field. The defensive alignment moved Chas McCormick to left field to replace Alvarez.
Unfortunately, Dubón suffered a left elbow contusion when he crashed into the center-field fence trying to rope in Dansby Swanson’s two-run double in the sixth. A trainer initially went out to check on the center fielder, but Dubón convinced him to let him stay in the game. The very next hitter tested Dubón’s health, and after he went down to field Austin Riley’s single to center and make a throw into the infield, the pain was visible from the dugout.
“The ground ball, when I went down to try to get it, it was hard for me to go down, and I guess they saw that from the dugout,” Dubón said. “I was not gonna say anything. I didn’t want to leave the game. I just wanted to play, but they took me out. I mean [I’m] fine, it’s day-to-day. It’s kind of sore right now, probably going to be sore tomorrow, but I think I’ll be good.
“I think I was more upset that I didn’t catch the ball. I was upset that I didn’t catch the ball because I had a good jump. I had a good read.”
Within two innings, the Astros lost two outfielders. The team has yet to place either player on the injured list. If Houston does decide to place Alvarez and Dubón on the IL, they will be the team’s third and fourth outfielders on the IL, joining Michael Brantley and Aledmys Díaz.