Astros' Yordan Alvarez Exits Game with Back Spasm, Misses Series Finale Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez was forced to leave Saturday’s 3-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning after experiencing a back spasm, according to reports. The injury occurred mid-at-bat, prompting manager Joe Espada to remove Alvarez from the game and send Zach Dezenzo to pinch hit. Dezenzo struck out on the next pitch, ending Alvarez’s participation in the contest. The decision to remove Alvarez was made to prevent further discomfort and avoid exacerbating the injury. Alvarez described the issue as tightness in his right scapula, or shoulder blade, which he had felt earlier in the day. He mentioned that the discomfort persisted despite his attempts to address it through his pre-game routine, which included lifting weights. “I was going through my routine before going to hit,” Alvarez said through a translator. “I was lifting some weights and felt that the scapula felt a little tight, and I couldn’t really raise my right arm a whole lot.” The injury occurred during an at-bat against Cubs pitcher Colin Rea. Alvarez fell behind in the count 0-2 before the discomfort became apparent. Espada, recognizing the issue, opted to substitute Alvarez with Dezenzo. “Espada came up to me and took me out of the game just to give it some rest and not make it worse,” Alvarez said. “So, I just followed his direction.” Espada explained that the decision to remove Alvarez was based on the timing of the at-bat. “Once that at-bat got going, he took too much time in between pitches,” Espada said. “It was time to come out of the game.” The manager also noted that he had planned to give Alvarez a day off on Sunday before the injury occurred. Alvarez, a three-time All-Star, is currently batting .#chicago_cubs #zach_dezenzo #houston_astros #joe_espada #yordan_alvarez
Astros Announce Opening Day Roster The Houston Astros officially finalized their 26-player Opening Day roster on March 25, 2026, completing the final adjustments to their 40-man roster. The team made several roster moves, including adding two players to the 40-man list, placing multiple athletes on injured lists, and making other personnel decisions to shape the team for the upcoming season. Among the additions to the 40-man roster were right-handed pitcher Christian Roa and catcher Christian Vázquez. Several players were placed on the injured list, including outfielder Zach Dezenzo, who was sidelined due to a right elbow sprain and placed on the 10-day injured list. A group of pitchers, including Ronel Blanco, Enyel De Los Santos, Josh Hader, Nate Pearson, Bennett Sousa, and Hayden Wesneski, were moved to the 15-day injured list for recovery from various arm and leg injuries. Left-handed pitcher Brandon Walter, recovering from left elbow surgery, was placed on the 60-day injured list. Catcher César Salazar was designated for assignment, while outfielder Zach Cole was optioned to Triple A Sugar Land. The Astros’ 40-man roster remains full following these moves. Several players made their debut on an Opening Day roster, including right-handed pitchers Mike Burrows, AJ Blubaugh, Tatsuya Imai, and Roddery Muñoz, as well as outfielder Joey Loperfido, infielder/outfielder Brice Matthews, and right-handed pitcher Christian Roa. Right-handed pitcher Kai-Wei Teng and Ryan Weiss also joined the list of first-time Opening Day roster members. Veteran second baseman Jose Altuve led the team in experience, securing his 14th career Opening Day roster spot. He is also poised to make his 14th Opening Day start, which would rank third in franchise history, behind Craig Biggio (19) and Jeff Bagwell (15).#houston_astros #christian_roa #christian_vazquez #zach_dezenzo #ronel_blanco
