Yordan Alvarez pushes back on DH-only role

Yordan Alvarez is widely recognized as one of the best hitters in baseball when he’s healthy. Unfortunately for the Houston Astros, who missed out on the playoffs for the first time since 2016 last season, the Cuban star only played 48 games in the 2025 campaign, which severely limited Houston’s offensive output when they needed it the most. 

With manager Joe Espada ready to leave 2025 behind, a key indicator for success will be Alvarez’s availability. 

Alvarez wants to play left field, but Joe Espada prefers him at DH

It’s easy to see why Espada is taking a cautious approach to Alvarez’s role. In 2025, Yordan missed 100 games due to a hand fracture and was out in September because of a left ankle sprain. 

However, Yordan believes that his previous injury history doesn’t relate to his time in the outfield, stating to reporters on Sunday that “I've never gotten hurt playing left field, all my injuries have been some other way.”

On Monday, Joe Espada reiterated that “I never said he wasn’t going to play left field,” but it seems clear that there is a distinction between what the player wants and what the coach, and perhaps the organization at large, prefers. 

While Yordan’s offensive numbers are better when he’s playing left field (albeit in a smaller sample size), Espada and the Astros need Alvarez fit and healthy this season, and constantly playing in the outfield might jeopardize that objective. 

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