The Astros received a terrible injury update on Yordan Alvarez this week, the sole silver lining of which is that fellow slugger Jose Abreu has excelled in Alvarez's absence.
The town of Houston ain't big enough for two Cuban sluggers. Jose Abreu and Yordan Alvarez, two of the Houston Astros' top hitters, have had very different seasons so far in 2023.
Abreu has been batting .233 in 66 games, a new career-low and perhaps a worrisome sign of the 36-year-old's decline. What may be more shocking than his slump is the fact that Abreu has actually improved his production in the wake of Yordan Alvarez's injury.
The Astros suffered a devastating blow when Yordan Alvarez suffered an oblique strain last Thursday, with initial reports estimating that Alvarez will miss at least four weeks of action. No hitter can replace Alvarez's blazing year that has seen him record an OPS of .978 — or can they?
Alvarez has leapt to another MVP-contending campaign in his fifth season in Houston, and his reliability at the plate will be sorely missed.
Yet for whatever inexplicable reason, Jose Abreu is finding his groove in Alvarez's absence and could supply the Astros with the torrid offense the club needs to stay competitive in this next stretch of the season.
When Alvarez was in the lineup in 2023, Abreu had an OPS of .524. In 11 games without Alvarez, that jumps up to .984.
Astros' Jose Abreu is suddenly flourishing without Yordan Alvarez in lineup
In fact, the three-time All-Star has recorded a 1.186 OPS over his last seven games. The difference has been like night and day.
Abreu earned his 1500th career hit on Tuesday night against the Nationals and looked like he has finally shaken off his early-season rust and is ready to get his Astros' career back on track.
He has four extra-base hits in 48 plate appearances in June, compared to 10 hits in his previous 225 appearances.
Will his sudden resurgence be too little too late? Abreu's slash line may still pale in comparison to more consistent in-form sluggers, but if he can continue posing as a threat at the plate, the Astros' weakened offense might grow a serpent head and be able to keep pace with the Angels and Rangers in the AL West.
There's no good explanation for why Abreu is re-finding his All-Star form now in Alvarez's absence. Does it really matter? The Astros are seeing their marquee free agent acquisition play good baseball again, and the front office can breathe a cautious sigh of relief. Their Abreu investment may not be a total bust after all.
