The Houston Astros have finally started to feel the effects of all of their injuries piling up. Houston has only won two of their last nine games, and their once-impressive lead in the AL West has diminished significantly. The Astros need to make some real moves at the MLB trade deadline, but the ongoing Yordan Alvarez injury saga threatens to derail that plan.
Alvarez could return relatively soon, and being that he's one of the best left-handed hitters in baseball, would lessen Houston's need to add another bat at the deadline. However, despite the news that Alvarez is swinging a bat again, there is no guarantee that his status will be resolved by the July 31 deadline, and that could cause some problems.