Astros' Alvarez shut down after setback in rehab of fractured hand

Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has been shut down after suffering a setback in his rehab from a fractured right hand, general manager Dana Brown said Tuesday, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

Alvarez reported hand soreness after taking some dry swings on Monday in Florida, Brown said. He'll now visit a hand specialist to determine the next steps in his recovery.

The complication comes as Alvarez appeared to be nearing a return to Houston's lineup. Brown told reporters Monday that the team was hoping for him to return from the IL as soon as this weekend in Los Angeles, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

It also comes a few days after the team lost another key member of their lineup, shortstop Jeremy Peña, to a fractured rib.

Alvarez was initially placed on the IL in early May with what the team initially called right hand inflammation. It wasn't until nearly a month later that he was sent for imaging that revealed the fracture.

The 28-year-old was hitting .210/.306/.340 with three homers and 18 RBIs at the time of his injury.

Despite missing their star designated hitter for much of the season, the Astros have surged atop the AL West and enter play Tuesday with 50 wins and a six-game lead over the second-place Mariners.