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Houston Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez and shortstop Jeremy Pena will be evaluated for concussions after colliding during the eighth inning of Wednesday’s game against the New York Mets.
Both players were calling for a fly ball and Pena ended up catching it, but his glove and elbow caught Alvarez in the face. Alvarez laid still on the field for a bit before he got up and was carted off. Pena initially looked like he could stay in the game but he also was then ruled out.
Entering Wednesday, Alvarez put together an All-Star-caliber season. He is Houston’s leader in batting average (.321), home runs (23), RBI (56) and hits (75). The 25-year-old also leads the majors with a 1.081 OPS.
Alvarez’s strong 2022 season is a return to form after his disappointing performance in the 2021 World Series. After being named ALCS MVP and recording an ALCS-record .522 batting average against the Boston Red Sox, Alvarez went just 2-for-20 against the Atlanta Braves as the Astros lost in six games.
Houston considers Alvarez to be a key member of the team’s core and signed the slugger to a six-year, $115 million contract extension earlier this month. Astros general manager James Click referred to Alvarez as a “cornerstone player.”
Pena had looked like one of the early frontrunners for AL Rookie of the Year before a thumb injury caused him to be placed on the injured list. Still, he’s looked like a solid replacement for Carlos Correa, batting .275 with nine homers and 27 RBI.
Houston ended up winning Wednesday’s game 2-0 when catcher Jason Castro hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the ninth inning off of Mets reliever Drew Smith. The victory completes an impressive road trip for the Astros, who lead the AL West with a 47-27 record.
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