So, that game could’ve gone better. Rather, the entire day, considering the news that Yordan Alvarez now has a small fracture in his right hand.
Astros general manager Dana Brown said Yordan Alvarez has a small fracture in his right hand that’s 60 percent healed. It was found after the inflammation went down. He won’t be swinging a bat for a while but will return in the “near future.”
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) May 31, 2025
Only 60% healed…yay.
This update feels very Kyle Tucker-ish with his shin fracture from 2024. If you don’t remember, Tucker fouled off a pitch against his shin, and the club said he had a shin contusion. Following a lengthy saga of uncertainty about when Tucker would resume baseball activities, it was announced in September that he actually had a fracture, explaining the delay between the initial injury and his eventual return. This was all shortly before his return. I am wondering how the Astros’ medical team and training staff didn’t notice the fracture in the first place after the initial inflammation subsided. It probably would’ve been helpful to know about that before he started swinging a bat again.
This whole topic about the organization rushing players back from injury deserves its own post, but the Alvarez update certainly created a pessimistic air around the team on Saturday.
In terms of the actual game, the pitching staff was overwhelmed by the Rays again, marking the second time in this series, particularly for the bullpen. Every pitcher for the Astros allowed at least one run. Forrest Whitley and Kaleb Ort combined to allow five earned runs each, totaling ten. Colton Gordon allowed four runs in five innings. Shawn Dubin and Steven Okert each allowed a run. Add it all together and you have 16.
To be fair, the lineup didn’t have much going against Zack Littell unless your name is Jeremy Peña, who drove in all three runs with two home runs. But all that damage occurred in the first three innings before Tampa Bay poured it on in the final three frames. Only one barreled ball for Houston’s lineup compared to six for the Rays. That’s essentially the story of the game.
To rehash, not a lot to like about this game. Peña played fantastically. But that’s about it in a game when the rest of the lineup and the pitching staff couldn’t do much of anything to stop the Rays. Those games happen in baseball. But for it to happen twice in the past three games is undoubtedly disappointing.
The Astros hope to split the series on Sunday, with Hunter Brown starting opposite Taj Bradley.