Overview

• Alvarez, sidelined since May 3 with a right hand muscle strain, faced live pitching Friday and drove a ball into the right-field seats during his rehab session.
• Manager Joe Espada described the outing as a significant step and said a positive result could allow Alvarez to skip a minor league rehab assignment.
• The Astros have gone 14-10 without Alvarez, leading MLB in batting average (.279) in May and receiving key contributions from Jeremy Peña, Isaac Paredes and Jose Altuve.
• If activated for this weekend’s series against the Tampa Bay Rays, Alvarez is projected to bat cleanup, which would move Kyle Tucker to fifth in the order.
• Espada said he will evaluate Alvarez’s hand response before finalizing lineup adjustments but praised the current top three that have powered Houston’s offense.