No surprise here after Alvarez was scratched from Saturday’s lineup with right hand inflammation. The 27-year-old fantasy star will presumably undergo further evaluation and testing this weekend to determine the severity of the issue. Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters Saturday that Alvarez has been playing through the lingering issue for a couple days, which leads us to believe it’s not a serious concern. There should be an update on his status at some point prior to Monday’s series opener in Milwaukee.

Not great. Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters the decision was made to scratch Alvarez prior to Saturday’s game against the White Sox after he was sore following pregame batting practice. He added that the middle-of-the-order force has been dealing with right hand inflammation for the last few days. It certainly sounds like a precautionary decision, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see Alvarez undergo imaging to rule out anything serious. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. There should be some additional clarity on his status at some point later this weekend.

Alvarez is on Houston’s lineup card after being lifted for a pinch-runner during the seventh inning of Monday’s series opener. The Athletic’s Chandler Rome noted that Alvarez didn’t look comfortable on a slide into second base earlier in the contest, so it’s an encouraging sign for fantasy managers that he’s ready for Wednesday’s matchup at Daikin Park.