The Houston Astros are set to kick off a crucial series against the Seattle Mariners on Friday. This series may well determine the American League West winner, and the Astros will have an important player returning to their lineup. Veteran third baseman Isaac Paredes, who has been out since July 19 due to a strained right hamstring, has been activated from the injured list.

Alongside this move, the Astros have placed slugger Yordan Alvarez on the injured list and transferred right-hander Kaleb Ort to the 60-day IL, allowing them to create space on the 40-player roster.

Paredes, 26, was enjoying a stellar season before his injury. Over 94 games, he maintained a batting line of .259/.359/.470 (128 OPS+) with 19 home runs and 50 runs batted in, earning him the title of AL All-Star for this season. His performance was valued at an estimated 2.5 Wins Above Replacement according to Baseball-Reference. The Astros had obtained Paredes from the Chicago Cubs as part of the trade involving Kyle Tucker.

The Astros’ strategy for utilizing Paredes remains uncertain, especially as they traded for Carlos Correa during the trade deadline as a backup for Paredes’ absence. Correa has been the primary starter at third base since then and could share duties with Paredes at the hot corner, with one potentially taking on the designated hitter role.

Alvarez, viewed as the Astros’ main DH, has also been sidelined after recently injuring his ankle by slipping on the plate. Alvarez characterized his injury as significant, leaving his return date uncertain for the rest of the season.

This pivotal series has both teams tied for first place in the AL West. The outcome of this three-game series will determine the head-to-head season series, crucial with MLB opting out of Game 163s; any ties are resolved based on head-to-head records.