It is not news that Yordan Alvarez is set to DH in the 2026 season, but the news is that he does not seem too happy about the situation. Although Alvarez has suffered from severe injuries and the team is likely trying to avoid that issue, the power hitter is awfully young to be solely DHing. A designated hitter is usually approaching the end of their career and in their 30s, but Alvarez is only 28 years old and still a thriving athlete.
So the question is: why is manager Joe Espada planning to use Yordan Alvarez just as a DH for the 2026 season?
Back in January, Espada mentioned that Alvarez would see some playing time in left field, but the majority of his games would be at DH. While this decision is not entirely up to Alvarez, he is not exactly pleased with the plan.
The young athlete has a lot to offer, so does making him just a DH make sense? Like many decisions with the Houston Astros, all signs point to injury. Alvarez has suffered several significant injuries during his career. Last season, he dealt with a fractured right hand that kept him out for much of the year and later suffered a left ankle sprain that ended his 2025 season early, limiting him to just 48 games per, houstonchronicle.
Alvarez has stated that these injuries were not the result of playing left field and that he has generally not been hurt while fielding in that position. Most of his injuries came from other plays and movements on the field, per si.
He has also said that these are not his decisions and that the club knows what is best, but he is still not pleased with the idea of only DHing. He is young, his injuries did not come from playing the position he is now limited from, and now he is being told he will not be playing much, if at all.
Yordan Alvarez is one of the best hitters in the league when healthy. Last season, the Cuban star played only 48 games due to injury, which seriously affected Houston’s offense. Offense was one of the team’s biggest struggles in 2025, and missing Alvarez contributed to them ultimately missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016. While it is not all on Alvarez, losing a key hitter certainly did not help, per si.