Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez exited Monday night’s game against the Texas Rangers (GameTracker) after injuring his ankle crossing home plate during the first inning. Alvarez managed to score on a throwing error by Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter, giving the Astros an early lead. However, his left foot slipped upon landing on the plate.

Alvarez needed help halting his progress outside the Astros dugout and visibly limped as he went down the steps into the clubhouse.

According to Baseball Prospectus, players usually miss about 30 days with a sprained ankle, although recovery experiences can differ.

After Alvarez’s departure, the Astros repositioned starter Jesús Sánchez to left field at the start of the second inning and brought in rookie Zach Cole to fill the right field spot.

Alvarez is 28 years old and had previously reached base with a walk before the incident. He had a .273 batting average with six home runs in 47 games this season. Following a lengthy recovery from a hand injury, he had been performing well, sporting a 1.024 OPS over the past 18 games.

This critical three-game series against the Rangers holds significant playoff implications, with the Astros holding a slight advantage over the Rangers.