HOUSTON (AP) — Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez is feeling better after spraining his right knee this weekend but isn’t sure when he’ll be able to return.
“I wish I knew what was going to happen in the next few days or had a vision for what was going to happen in the next few days,” he said in Spanish through a translator. “But we need to wait for the inflammation to go down and then we can go from there.”
Alvarez was injured sliding into second base on a double in the third inning Sunday. On Monday, manager Joe Espada ruled Alvarez out for the rest of the series against the Seattle Mariners, which runs through Wednesday.
The Astros lead the AL West and need a win over the Mariners to clinch the division for a fourth straight season.
Alvarez, who plays left field and is often the team’s designated hitter, said he was much less sore Tuesday than he was the day after he was injured.
“Today I can walk better,” he said. “Yesterday I wasn’t able to put much weight on the knee. Today I can put a lot more weight on that leg, so I definitely feel better.”
But he’s still struggling with mobility because of swelling in his knee.
“I really can’t do much right now,” he said. “Inflammation obviously is still there and I can’t even turn my knee right now.”
Espada was asked if there was a possibility that Alvarez could be available off the bench if he isn’t ready to play a full game this weekend when the Astros wrap up the regular season with a series at Cleveland.
“It would be great to have Yordan off the bench,” Espada said. “It would be great to have Yordan in some capacity. But we … just need to give him some time and see how he feels the next couple of days.”
Alvarez leads the Astros with .308 average, 35 home runs and 86 RBIs.
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Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. Jose Altuve also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez, right, tests his right leg for manager Joe Espada, left, and a member of the athletic training staff after injuring himself while sliding into second base on a double during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. Jose Altuve also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
CHESTER-LE-STREET, England (AP) — England captain Harry Brook struck his first one-day international century before his team clinched a 46-run win by the DLS method to keep alive the series against Australia on Tuesday.
Chasing 305 to win the third ODI, England was 254-4 — with Brook unbeaten on 110 — when heavy rain arrived in the day-nighter at Chester-le-Street. The teams didn’t get back on the field and England was well ahead of the run-rate.
Australia, which had cruised to dominant wins at Southampton and Leeds in this five-match series, saw its lead trimmed to 2-1 and its 14-match winning run in ODIs come to an end. During that streak, the team won the Cricket World Cup in India last year.
Coming to the crease with England in trouble on 11-2, Brook took on Australia’s seam attack by hitting 13 fours and two sixes in a 94-ball knock to easily surpass his previous ODI-best score of 80.
“I’m relieved, for sure. It’s just nice to see some rewards,” said Brook, who gained his first win as stand-in skipper for the injured Jos Buttler. “I’m just glad I managed to play the way I wanted to. It’s nice to get that first hundred on the board and hopefully there’s plenty more to come.
“I feel like I’ve been a little bit stop-start this summer. I’ve had a lot of starts — 30s and 40s — and then not managed to convert, which is frustrating. To do that today, I feel like I’m back in a good place."
The series continues on Friday with the fourth ODI at Lord’s.
Playing without explosive opener Travis Head (rested) and star spinner Adam Zampa (ill), Australia was put into bat and needed a strong finish — mainly thanks to Alex Carey’s unbeaten 77 and No. 8 batter Aaron Hardie’s 44 off 26 — to post 304-7 off its 50 overs.
Steve Smith hit a patient 60 off 82 balls, after the tourists’ innings was slowed by losing Cameron Green (42) and Marnus Labuschagne (0) in space of five balls just past the halfway mark.
It looked a tough chase for a youthful England team that had been outclassed so far this series and things started badly when Mitchell Starc dismissed Phil Salt (for an eight-ball duck) and Ben Duckett (8) in the same over — Australia’s third.
Brook embraced the pressure of the occasion and went on the attack pretty much from the start of his innings.
His third-wicket stand of 156 with Will Jacks (84 off 82 balls) swung the momentum England’s way and the team maintained it when the big-hitting Liam Livingstone came in at No. 6 and immediately smashed two sixes.
Brook used the uppercut to great effect to deal with some short-pitched bowling from the Australians and hit a straight drive for four to get to 99. Off the next ball, he opened the face and edged for another four to reach his century, prompting him to remove his helmet and look to the sky.
Brook’s second fifty came off just 33 deliveries.
England’s push for victory was then held up by the rain that arrived in the 38th over. It got heavier and heavier, with the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern formula showing that the hosts were well in front of the run-rate.
Brook made some interesting comments after the series opener in Nottingham, reflecting on some loose dismissals by saying: “If you get caught somewhere on the boundary or in the field, then who cares?”
He said his words had been misunderstood.
“I think people took that a little bit the wrong way. You’ve got to go out and play fearlessly and almost have that ‘who cares?’ attitude. But that’s not a ‘who cares if we lose?’ attitude,” Brook said.
“We all want to win, but you don’t want to go out and have that fear of getting out."
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Australia's Alex Carey batts during the third one day international cricket match between England and Australia in County Durham, England, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Australia's Glenn Maxwell, centre left, celebrates with teammates after catching out England's Ben Duckett during the third day of international match at the Seat Unique Riverside, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, England, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
England's Jofra Archer, left, celebrates taking the wicket of Australia's Steven Smith during the third one day international cricket match between England and Australia in County Durham, England, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
England's Harry Brook celebrates 100 runs during the third day international match at the Seat Unique Riverside, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, England, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
England's Harry Brook celebrates 100 runs during the third day international match at the Seat Unique Riverside, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, England, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
