Yordan Alvarez Injury: Managing 'pretty significant' sprain

Manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that Alvarez has a "pretty significant" left ankle sprain and will be "out for a while," though the Astros won't be placing him on the injured list, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The description of the injury makes it sound as though Alvarez won't be retaking the field anytime soon, but Houston apparently doesn't feel the need to place the slugger on the IL with the expanded rosters for September. Should the Astros change their mind and backdate an IL move, Alvarez could be reinstated as early as Sept. 26. Regardless of the 28-year-old's roster status, Alvarez won't be back in the lineup for Houston in the immediate future.