Houston Astros star Yordan Alvarez, an American League triple-crown contender, has been removed from the lineup for Friday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays due to a sore right ankle.
The injury occurred on Thursday when Alvarez twisted his ankle while running the bases during a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Despite the stumble, he managed to bat 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in his at-bats against Phillies starter Zack Wheeler.
However, Alvarez did reach base in the eighth inning after drawing an intentional walk from José Alvarado. He subsequently advanced to third base on a Jose Altuve double, but stumbled while rounding the bag and required attention from trainers.
Alvarez remained in the contest, though he was spared from running when Daulton Varsho hit a pop-up. Serving as the designated hitter, he was not required to take the field for the remainder of the inning.
Alvarez currently ranks second in the AL with a .310 batting average, 38 home runs, and 96 RBIs. Furthermore, he tops the league with a .427 on-base percentage and a .590 slugging percentage. Should he maintain his current trajectory, Alvarez would become the first MLB player to win the Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera accomplished the feat for the Detroit Tigers in 2012, a season in which Cabrera batted .330 with 44 home runs and 139 RBIs.
