The Houston Astros are heading into a massive series against the Seattle Mariners. While the winner of the series won't be guaranteed to clinch the AL West, they would have a significant advantage and would be in great shape to clinch the division.
For the Astros, who've led the division for the majority of the year, losing this series, at home, to the Mariners would be a disaster. Fortunately for the Astros, they are getting one slugger back after he missed two months.
However, as Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports, the activation of Isaac Paredes comes with a negative, as the Astros are officially placing Yordan Alvarez on the injured list, effectively ending his 2025 season.
Astros activate Isaac Paredes, place Yordan Alvarez on IL
Houston is losing Alvarez to the 10-day injured list right at the end of the season. While, in theory, he could still return for the postseason, it's still a significant loss for the Astros heading into a massive final stretch of the year.
The Astros activated Isaac Paredes, put Yordan Alvarez on the 10-day IL and transferred Kaleb Ort to the 60-day IL
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) September 19, 2025
It's retroactive to September 16th, giving the Astros the possibility of activating him later this season. But, with the uncertainty surrounding his recovery from this ankle sprain, there's reasonable concern that his season is over.
Losing Alvarez shortly before this pivotal Mariners series is a massive blow. While they were able to stand their ground against the Texas Rangers, the Mariners are a hot team right now and won't be an easy opponent to beat.
Fortunately, despite losing Alvarez's bat in the heart of the lineup, Paredes is coming back for the Astros to slide in at designated hitter and help bolster the offense. Paredes had 19 home runs and was a .259 hitter before landing on the IL with a serious hamstring strain.
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While he won't be at 100 percent, his bat in the lineup should still be a huge boon for the Astros as they close out the 2025 regular season.
He's even more important now that Alvarez is, likely, done for the year. The Astros' lefty masher has missed a lot of the 2025 season with a hand injury, and now will miss the final stretch of games with an ankle issue he sustained crossing home plate.
It's a bittersweet report from Rome, as the Alvarez injury was expected to last a while, but seeing him hit the injured list puts some finality to the situation. Paredes is a nice plus, but the loss of Alvarez could have major ramifications for the final nine games of 2025.
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