Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez, who had hoped to return to Houston's lineup this weekend for the first time since early May, will instead be shut down after new imaging revealed a small fracture in his right hand.

Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez broke down what went behind the team's decision to keep him out of the lineup.

HOUSTON — A month into an injured list stint for “inflammation,” a small fracture has been discovered in Yordan Alvarez’s right hand, sidelining the Houston Astros slugger for the foreseeable future while inviting further scrutiny on a medical staff struggling to get players back onto the field.