Overview

• Manager Joe Espada announced Alvarez will serve as designated hitter in his first rehab game at Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday.
• General manager Dana Brown outlined a plan for Alvarez to play Tuesday, rest Wednesday and then appear in back-to-back games with a potential activation date of August 26.
• Alvarez has resumed live at-bats and faced live pitching at the team’s Florida complex as part of his ramp-up.
• His recovery from an initial muscle-strain diagnosis to a small fourth-metacarpal fracture involved multiple shutdowns and injections, prompting a cautious, step-by-step approach.
• Houston holds a slim lead in the AL West and views Alvarez’s return as a key boost for its playoff push.