Astros encouraged by exam on slugger Yordan Alvarez (hand)

The right hand pain that Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez is currently experiencing is not related to the fracture from earlier this season, the team said Thursday.
Alvarez visited a hand specialist on Wednesday and received two injections in a bid to lessen the inflammation.
“There’s no pain due to the fracture or anything like that,” Astros general manager Dana Brown said Thursday. “It’s more the inflamed area, where he received the shots.”
Alvarez took batting practice in Houston on Saturday and reported to West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday for the next step in his rehab, but that plan changed after taking dry swings with a bat on Monday and reporting the soreness in the hand on Tuesday.
Brown said he was pleased by the latest development.
“We’re encouraged that it’s not related to the fracture,” Brown said prior to Houston’s 7-6 road loss against the Colorado Rockies. “To us, this is good news and we’re looking forward to him at least holding a bat once the inflammation goes down before we can tell you any more. Once he starts to hold the bat, we’ll have a lot more information in terms of a timeline.”
Astros manager Joe Espada said he spoke to Alvarez on Thursday.
“I talked to him a little bit and he sounds happy. He sounds very encouraged about the news,” Espada said. “If he’s happy, I’m happy.”
Alvarez, 28, last played on May 2. He is batting just .210 with three homers and 18 RBIs in 29 games this season. He was scratched from a game against the Chicago White Sox on May 3 due to the injury and was placed on the injured list two days later.
The Astros announced on May 31 that Alvarez had a small fracture in the hand.
The three-time All-Star topped 30 homers in each of the previous four campaigns and owns a career slugging percentage of .573.