HOUSTON —
“He is feeling better,” Espada said. “Good enough to start a rehabilitation assignment.”
Espada said Alvarez would need “a few games before joining our club” but when pressed about exactly how many games or at-bats the left-hander would need, he declined to give further details.
“We’re going to start with Tuesday and then we’ll go from there,” he said.
Espada said Alvarez would serve as the team’s designated hitter Tuesday.
The return of Alvarez would be a major boost to the Astros as the postseason approaches after he led the team in batting average (.308), home runs (35) and RBI (86) last season. Houston entered Sunday leading the AL West with a 1 1/2-game lead over the Mariners.
The 28-year-old Alvarez hit .210 with three homers and 18 RBI in 29 games this season before his injury.
