s status is the biggest question mark facing the Astros as the postseason begins, but manager Joe Espada said Alvarez Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Jersey will take batting practice tomorrow. Thats a really good sign. Just the fact that hes able to hit and rotate and do stuff that a couple days ago I thought he wasnt going to be able to do in a matter of days , Espada told reporters, including . Alvarez hasnt played since suffering a knee sprain while sliding on September 22, and it seems po sible that the Astros might not tip their hand about his availability until Tuesday morning, when they have to release their rosters for their AL Wild Card Series with the Tigers. Waiting until the relative last minute makes it harder for the Tigers to prepare, and it also gives Alvarez and the Astros as much time as po sible to evaluate the star sluggers knee health. Outfielder might be another late roster decision, though MLB.coms Brian McTaggart writes ( ) that McCormick took live batting practice today and is set for another live BP se sion tomorrow. McCormick has been sidelined since September 10 due to a fracture in his right hand, but has been able to take part in other baseball activities over the past week. More from the AL West Recurring shoulder problems sent to the injured list four different times this season, and limited the Rangers reliever to only 17 games and 16 1/3 innings. Sborz told that he is going to consult Dr. Neal ElAttrache about the problem, and whether or not surgery could po sibly be required. For me, not having any understanding of it is whats killing me the most , Sborz said. You get hurt, you want to understand it so you can mitigate the risk of it coming back. Id like to get clarity, but the crappy thing about shoulders is there isnt a lot of clarity . Surgery and a lengthy recovery could turn Sborz into a non-tender candidate for the Rangers as he enters his second year of arbitration eligibility, which would be a tough outcome for a pitcher who was a key part of the Texas bullpen during the 2023 postseason. Sborz earned $1.025MM this season, and is due just a minimal raise because of all the time spent on the IL. hit only .169/.242/.228 over 360 plate appearances for the Angels this season, with a 34 wRC+ that was by far the worst of any player in the majors with at least 350 PA. Migraines and some nagging injuries played a role in these struggles, but Drury told that some swing changes last offseason mightve been the biggest culprit, as his attempts to add exit velocity backfired badly. It all added up to a rough platform year as Drury enters free agency, and the 32-year-old might have to settle for either a minor league contract or a small guaranteed deal heading into his 11th MLB season. A suming Drury figures things out with his offseason prep, theres seemingly some good bounce-back potential, as Drury hit a very solid .263/.313/.493 over 1179 PA from 2021-23. Karl-Anthony Towns Jersey