How Astros Will Be Affected by Impending Return of Yordan Alvarez

This will be a huge boost for the Houston Astros.

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There's a good chance the Houston Astros get the news they have been searching for all season on Tuesday; that Yordan Alvarez is healthy enough to be activated off the injured list.

On the shelf since May 2 because of a hand injury, the slugger has tried to work his way back on numerous occasions before being shut down due to setbacks. But when he finally went on his rehab assignment, it felt like that was the closest he's been to making his major league return.

Now, according to Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required), the superstar could rejoin the Astros on Tuesday to begin their home series against the Colorado Rockies, something that would be a huge boost for this lineup.

It's not clear exactly how Alvarez is going to look when he does return -- whether that is on Tuesday or a later date -- after being out for four months. But there's no doubt that getting the superstar back into their midst will dramatically change the outlook of Houston going forward.

Here are two ways the Astros will be impacted if Alvarez does return on Tuesday.

Left-Handed Hitting Upgrade

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Alvarez was not having his best season before he went on the injured list, slashing just .210/.306/.340 with three home runs. That was easily the worst production of his career. But even the mere presence of his left-handed-hitting profile will be an upgrade for Houston.

That's because their left-handed hitters are dead last in terms of wRC+ on the season, sitting with a figure of 61 that is 18 percentage points lower than the second-to-last place team. Beyond that, the slash line of that group as a whole has been .197/.275/.305, the worst in the majors in those three statistical categories.

So even though Alvarez had his struggles at the beginning of the year, his slash line is much better than what all the left-handed hitters for the Astros have done combined, meaning he will be a welcomed addition back to the roster.

Lineup Shuffle

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When Alvarez returns, he is going to become the everyday designated hitter again. While he will probably get a few days off here and there to make sure his hand is still OK, Houston wouldn't bring him back if they weren't going to put him back into his previous role.

So that will cause some changes, particularly to the outfield unit and how Victor Caratini is used. With Cam Smith struggling and Jesus Sanchez flashing solid defense and improved offense, there's a chance Sanchez takes over in right field while Chas McCormick splits time between left and center and Jacob Melton rotates in during a favorable platoon.

Caratini was being used as a DH against right-handed pitchers when he wasn't catching, but he likely will be reduced to the backup catching role and a pinch-hitting option off the bench, something he has thrived in this year.

Jose Altuve could still be a factor in the grass, but he has also been getting more time at second base and designated hitter, the latter of which will be affected by Alvarez's return. Perhaps Altuve goes back to being the full-time second baseman even with his poor defensive play, something the Astros were hoping to avoid at this stage of his career.

But that is a tradeoff Houston is likely willing to make if that means one of the game's best hitters is back in their lineup, something that could be coming Tuesday.