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**Astros’ Yordan Alvarez Out Indefinitely with Significant Ankle Sprain**

HOUSTON – The Houston Astros received a major blow to their playoff hopes as slugger Yordan Alvarez suffered a significant left ankle sprain during Monday night’s game against the Texas Rangers and will be sidelined indefinitely.

Manager Joe Espada announced the news Tuesday, declining to provide a specific timetable for Alvarez’s return as Houston fights for the AL West division title and a Wild Card berth.

“This is going to keep him out for a while,” Espada said. “Let’s not get into days, weeks, any of that. We are going to take one day at a time, but this is going to take some time to heal.”

Alvarez sustained the injury while scoring in the first inning, appearing to slip as he crossed home plate after a throwing error by Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter. He was seen leaving the clubhouse on crutches, wearing a protective boot. The injury occurred while Alvarez was scoring from first base on an infield single by Carlos Correa.

The team has not yet decided whether to place the three-time All-Star on the injured list. Alvarez underwent an MRI Tuesday to determine the extent of the damage.

The loss of Alvarez is a significant setback for the Astros, who are currently battling for playoff positioning. Before the injury he was batting .273 with six home runs and 27 RBIs but has been limited to 48 games because of a fractured right hand that forced him to sit out 101 games. Houston enters Tuesday a half-game behind the Seattle Mariners in the AL West, and three games ahead of Cleveland Guardians and Texas for the final AL wild-card spot.

“We need him in there, but those are the things that we can’t control,” Espada said. “It’s a freak accident that happens on a baseball field and that’s not what we need right now. But we do have guys here that understand the situation that we’re in. We’ve got talent. We’ve got guys that want it. We’ve got guys that can fight and get us through this stretch.”

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