RADIO
Yordan Alvarez Cementing his Case for AL MVP With Another Two-Homer Game
Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez continued to rake in Monday night's 8-5 win over the visiting Miami Marlins at Daikin Park by going 3-for-4 at the plate as the designated hitter with two home runs and a strikeout to raise his season average to .324 and his OPS to a stellar 1.083. Alvarez continued to scorch the ball all over the ballpark in the series opener against the Fish, and his two homers now have him tied for the major-league lead in homers with 33 with Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber. The 29-year-old Cuban left-handed slugger also leads baseball with a 1.083 OPS and is second with his .324 batting average and 75 RBI. There aren't many pitchers in the league right now who can shut Alvarez down offensively. He came into Monday's tilt with a .353 average (18-for-51) and 1.159 OPS with five home runs, four doubles, 13 RBI, and six runs scored across 13 games and 60 plate appearances in the month of July. If Alvarez can continue his torrid pace for the rest of the second half and stay healthy, he has an excellent shot to be the first Triple Crown winner since Miguel Cabrera did it in 2012.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Astros Call Up Outfield Prospect Lucas Spence on Friday
The Houston Astros announced on Friday that they selected the contract of outfield prospect Lucas Spence from Triple-A Sugar Land and placed outfielder Brice Matthews (knee) on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left knee in a corresponding move. Spence made the start in center field for the Astros and was hitting eighth in his big-league debut against the visiting Baltimore Orioles and right-hander Dean Kremer at Daikin Park. The 23-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville got the call to the Show after slashing .258/.353/.424 with a .776 OPS, six home runs, 44 RBI, 13 stolen bases, and 36 runs scored in 63 games across 278 plate appearances with the FCL rookie-level Astros, Double-A Corpus Christi, and Sugar Land. The 6-foot, 195-pounder is the team's No. 10 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and he could help fill Houston's center field void to begin the second half of the season, making him an AL-only consideration off the waiver wire for his on-base skills and speed. There isn't much pop here, though, and he'll almost certainly only play against right-handed pitchers.
Source: Houston Astros
Source: Houston Astros
Brice Matthews Removed with Knee Injury
Houston Astros outfielder Brice Matthews (knee) was forced to make an early exit from Sunday's game against the Texas Rangers. Matthews injured his knee when he collided with the wall during the first inning of this contest. Matthews finished out the inning, but was pulled out of the game before taking his first at-bat. Taylor Trammell pinch hit for Matthews and took over in center field for the rest of the contest. The Astros will likely do more testing on Matthews before deciding if he needs to be placed on the Injured List. The All-Star break begins on Monday, so the Astros won't need to make any decisions right away.
Source: Matt Kawahara
Source: Matt Kawahara
Logan Hughes Selected at 17th Overall by Astros
The Houston Astros selected outfielder Logan Hughes out of Texas Tech with the 17th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday afternoon. Entering the draft, MLB Pipeline ranked the outfielder as the overall No. 42 prospect in this year's class. However, on the college diamond, Hughes has shown high-end upside worthy of a pick in the back half of the opening round. Hughes began his collegiate career at Stetson before transferring to Texas Tech in 2025. While in the Big 12, Hughes has showcased high-end power, hitting at least 18 home runs in each season. In 2025, the 21-year-old posted a season-high .375 AVG with a sharp 1.245 OPS. According to his MLB.com scouting report, Hughes is credited with making good swing decisions and has the ability to make contact against all pitch types. While he has the upside to be a 20-HR hitter in the majors, his lack of speed and lower fielding projections could limit his upside.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Yordan Alvarez Hits Two Homers on Saturday, Including Game-Winner
Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez bolstered his case as the favorite for the American League MVP award in 2026 with another multi-homer performance in the team's 10-8 win on Saturday against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays at Daikin Park. Alvarez went 3-for-4 at the plate as the designated hitter with six RBI to raise his season batting average to .324 and his OPS to 1.078. The 29-year-old left-handed slugger had a solo shot for his first homer of the day before launching a walk-off, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to send the Rays home. It was Alvarez's fourth multi-homer game of the season, and the three-time All-Star and former AL Rookie of the Year is now slashing .324/.433/.645 in his 89 games and 388 plate appearances. The Cuban slugger leads the league in a variety of categories, including home runs (29), RBI (67), runs scored (62), hits (104), on-base percentage (.433), slugging percentage (.645), OPS (1.078), and total bases (207). He's by far the favorite for the AL MVP as we near the end of the first half of the season.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Cam Smith Continues to Leave the Yard, has Two-Homer Game Against Twins
Houston Astros outfielder Cam Smith continued his power binge in Monday night's 5-4 loss at home to the visiting Minnesota Twins at Daikin Park, going 2-for-4 at the plate with two solo home runs to raise his season batting average to .222 and his OPS to .685. The 23-year-old former 14th overall pick by the Chicago Cubs in 2024 out of Florida State University is batting only .222 (63-for-284) on the year with an on-base percentage under .300 and a strikeout rate of 25.3% in 85 games (320 plate appearances), but he has already set a new career high in home runs, and four of his last six hits have cleared the fences. It was good to see Smith flex his muscles again after missing Sunday's series finale against the Detroit Tigers due to a sore foot. Although there is a lot of swing and miss in Smith's game, his current xBA sits at .247, and he also has a .332 xwOBA (.294 wOBA), suggesting that positive regression is due in the second half of his sophomore campaign. Smith sits in the 71st percentile in hard-hit rate and the 80th percentile in barrel rate, so when he is making contact, it has been loud. Fantasy managers seeking power should consider Smith off the waiver wire, and he's widely available, as he's rostered in only 11% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Cam Smith Exits Early During Saturday's Game
Houston Astros outfielder Cam Smith (foot) was unable to finish Saturday's game against the Detroit Tigers. Smith fouled a ball off his foot, but stayed in the game and actually homered during the at-bat. He attempted to stay in the game, but Smith was ultimately replaced by Joey Loperfido in the seventh inning. Before exiting, Smith went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in the win over Detroit. It sounds like his exit was precautionary, and Smith should be available for Sunday's series finale. Fantasy managers should check back ahead of Sunday's game for another update.
Source: Chandler Rome
Source: Chandler Rome
Yordan Alvarez Won't Take Part in Home Run Derby
Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez, the front-runner for MVP in the American League this year, said he will not participate in this year's Home Run Derby. "I'm still open," Alvarez said on Sunday, "but not this year." Alvarez hit his 25th home run of the year in Sunday's 2-1 win over the visiting Cleveland Guardians at Daikin Park, and he trails only Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber for the major-league home run lead. Alvarez had an invitation to take part in the 2022 Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium, but he went on the injured list with a right-hand injury right before the All-Star break. He also missed the 2023 All-Star game due to an oblique injury. The Astros haven't had a competitor in the Home Run Derby since third baseman Alex Bregman did it in both 2018 and 2019. Alvarez is set to compete in his fourth career All-Star game next month in Philly. He's currently slashing .322/.428/.640, and his 1.068 OPS and .640 slugging percentage lead all of baseball. After an injury-plagued 2025 campaign that limited him to only 48 games, the former AL Rookie of the Year has bounced back in a huge way in 2026.
Source: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
Source: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
Yordan Alvarez Slugs Astros to Victory With Two More Home Runs
Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez was at it again on Friday night in Kansas City against the Royals, helping lead his team to a 10-8 victory by going 3-for-5 at the plate with two home runs and six RBI to boost his season average to .321 and his OPS to a stellar 1.092. Incredibly, both of Alvarez's home runs on the night came in the first inning when the Astros jumped out with nine runs in the first frame. The 28-year-old left-hander's first long ball was a two-run shot, and then he went yard for a grand slam to do even more damage. The three-time All-Star and former Silver Slugger winner is now up to a .321/.433/.659 slash line, 24 home runs, 54 RBI, 48 runs scored, and a stolen base in his 252 at-bats in 2026. Alvarez is the front-runner for the American League MVP award this year and has hit an absurd .444 (16-for-36) with four home runs, a double, 15 RBI, and nine runs scored in 10 games so far in June. He continues to blister the baseball almost every time he makes contact, ranking in the 97th percentile in hard-hit rate, the 100th percentile in xwOBA, and the 100th percentile in expected slugging.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Cam Smith Carrying Value in Deeper Leagues with Emerging Power
Houston Astros outfielder Cam Smith is starting to show signs of life at the plate, giving fantasy managers a reason to keep him on the waiver-wire radar. Smith went 2-for-5 with two doubles and one RBI in Monday's 5-4 extra-inning win over the Los Angeles Angels. He is 6-for-21 over his last five games with two doubles, one triple, four RBI, and an 8:1 K:BB. The season-long production remains modest, but Smith's recent success gives him some appeal. Through 67 games, he has hit six home runs, brought in 25 runs, scored 26, and added 10 doubles. With 75% of Yahoo leagues still leaving him available, Smith is a reasonable pickup for fantasy managers in deeper leagues looking to get ahead on a young bat with developing power (13.2% barrel rate), as he should continue to see a prominent role in this lineup.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Astros Not Talking About Trading Yordan Alvarez
The Houston Astros could surely get a huge haul at this year's trade deadline for outfielder Yordan Alvarez, who leads the majors with a 1.070 OPS and the American League with 22 home runs and 48 RBI, but general manager Dana Brown has shot down speculation that the team might trade Alvarez, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. "We've had zero conversations internally about moving Yordan," Brown said Monday. "Zero." The left-handed slugger is in the fourth year of a six-year, $115 million contract extension that he signed four years ago this week. He's being paid at a bargain at $26 million from 2026-28, considering he's currently the front-runner for the AL MVP. And it's not like the Astros are out of the postseason by any means; they were five games out of first place in the AL West and three games out of an AL wild-card spot going into Monday's contests. Meanwhile, Alvarez is on pace to become the first Astros player since Alex Bregman in 2019 to have 40 homers, and he could make a run at Jeff Bagwell's franchise record of 47 round-trippers in 2000. After being limited to 48 games in 2025 due to injury, Alvarez is having a monster bounce-back campaign.
Source: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
Source: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
Astros Reinstate Jose Altuve From the Injured List
The Houston Astros reinstated second baseman Jose Altuve (oblique) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and optioned infielder Zach Dezenzo to Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Altuve is right back in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Athletics and right-hander Jack Perkins, starting at the keystone and batting fifth at Daikin Park. The 36-year-old former MVP and nine-time All-Star is returning from a Grade 2 strained left oblique that kept him out since May 16. The Venezuelan veteran did not require a minor-league rehab stint, which means he could be a bit rusty at the plate upon his return this weekend. Altive has finally felt the effects of Father Time in 2026, as he enters Friday's action with a .245/.326/.380 slash line, .706 OPS, four home runs, 12 RBI, 27 runs, and one stolen base across 42 games and 185 plate appearances. There's still time for Altuve to turn things around now that he's back to full health, and he's rostered in 85% of Yahoo leagues despite his slow start and oblique injury.
Source: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
Source: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
Jose Altuve Expected to Take Live Batting Practice Soon
Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (oblique) is expected to take live batting practice in the next day or two, manager Joe Espada told Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Once Altuve begins facing live pitching, he could return from the 10-day injured list rather quickly, as the 36-year-old Venezuelan veteran isn't expected to require a minor-league rehab assignment before rejoining the team. The former MVP and nine-time All-Star has been sidelined for three weeks with an oblique strain, but when he's cleared to return, he will be back as Houston's primary second baseman. The three-time batting champion has shown signs of decline so far in 2026 before his injury, slashing a very modest .245/.326/.380 with a .706 OPS, only four home runs, 12 RBI, 27 runs scored, and one stolen base across 163 at-bats for the 'Stros. Even so, Altuve deserves to be rostered in nearly all fantasy leagues. He's available in just 15% of Yahoo leagues despite missing nearly a month at this point with his oblique ailment. UPDATE: Altuve is scheduled to take live BP on Wednesday, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
Source: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
Source: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
Yordan Alvarez Continues Homer Barrage With Two More Long Balls on Wednesday
Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez is having a year. The 28-year-old left-handed Cuban slugger went 3-for-4 at the plate on Wednesday night in the team's 4-3 victory over the hosting Texas Rangers with two home runs, a walk, and a strikeout to raise his season batting average to .312 and his OPS to 1.085. It was the second straight night that Alvarez hit two home runs, and he has now hit five home runs in the last three games. He now has 20 homers on the season in 56 games. Alvarez has slashed a modest .250/.366/.560 in May, but it has come with eight round-trippers, which is the second-most of any player in the month. It's safe to say that the back injury that kept Alvarez out of Sunday's game is quickly a thing of the past. The three-time All-Star only played in 48 games in 2025 due to injuries, but he has bounced back rather nicely so far in 2026 as one of the best all-around hitters in the game. Alvarez obviously is a must-start in all fantasy lineups anytime he's active.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Yordan Alvarez Hits Two More Homers in Loss to Rangers
Houston Astros outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez was at it again in the team's 10-7 loss to the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Tuesday night, going 2-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, four RBI, and two strikeouts. Alvarez is now hitting .303 on the season with a 1.045 OPS as one of the best hitters in the game. The 28-year-old left-handed slugger mashed a three-run blast in the third inning and a solo shot in the eighth, but the Astros' comeback attempt fell short. Fantasy managers were a bit worried when Alvarez missed Sunday's contest with a back injury, but he only missed one game and has hit three homers in two games since returning to the lineup. It's been nice to see Alvarez bounce back in 2026 after an injury-plagued 2025 campaign. In addition to his .303 average and 1.045 OPS, he has a .414 on-base percentage, .631 slugging percentage, 18 home runs, 37 RBI, 34 runs scored, and a stolen base across 55 games. Alvarez also ranks in the 93rd percentile in hard-hit rate, the 100th percentile in xwOBA, and the 100th percentile in expected slugging, so the underlying metrics absolutely support his strong season at the plate.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
