Astros star strikes Alvarez for real-combat strike training tomorrow and is expected to review over the weekend

Despite Yordan Alvarez's four hits throughout May, the Astros still made a strong push for the top spot in the American League West. And the heavy gunner could be back as soon as this weekend — without having to go through minor league rehab games. Alvarez will face a hands-on pitch ahead of Friday's game against the Rays, the final test of his return to play, provided that the hand inflammation that has plagued him since May 3 does not return.

"It's the best feeling he's been in since his injury," Astros coach Joe Espada revealed Thursday, "and he's finished his tee machine and run bases, and he's back into the countdown." Alvarez had a field strike practice ahead of the game on Thursday, under the watchful eye of general manager Dana Brown and Espada, while being tested by coach-fed balls and high-speed ball machines. "It feels good," Alvarez said, "just to see how your hand reacts to the shot and look forward to coming back soon." "

Since hitting four hits against the White Sox on May 2, Alvarez has only converted 0.210/0.306/0.340 batting trips (3 hits and 18 RBIs) in 121 strokes this season, which is the worst start of his career. But he refuses to use a hand injury as an excuse: "It's really frustrating to be on the injured list because of a hand injury, and it's easy for a batter to deal with hand pain. I've fought with injuries, but the inflammation is different. He admits that he could have returned earlier, but insisted on a complete recovery: "It's a delicate area, and the inflammatory response makes the recovery period longer than expected." "

The Astros are 14-10 in Alvarez's absence (as of Thursday). The team's offensive stats for May were dazzling: 0.279 batting percentage topped the league, 0.777 attack index tied for fifth, and 113 points ranked tenth. Alvarez has played third and second in 24 games this season, but could be fourth when he returns. Espada was pleased with the adjusted front-end line on May 19: Pioneer Jeremy Peña followed by Isaac Paredes for second and Jose Altuve for third. "This 1-2-3 punch has been very effective, and it is likely to maintain the status quo, and the overall coordination will be evaluated when the full team returns. "