While the Atlanta Braves defeated the Houston Astros 6-2 in a World Series rematch on Friday, a far more relevant moment happened with Houston star, Yordan Álvarez. After the game, his manager, Dusty Baker, gave everyone some good news.
Álvarez left the game early. The Astros reported that he went to the hospital, suffering from shortness of breath.
Following the game, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reported that Álvarez “is stable and his vitals are good.”
Álvarez has been one of baseball’s best hitters all season. He’s hitting .295/.400/.612 with 31 home runs on the season. The Astros have one of baseball’s best records. But Álvarez’s availability will have a lot to do with how good their chances are in the postseason.
Of course, his significance to the Astros is not nearly as important as his overall health, particularly when it comes to potential respiratory issues. Certainly, any time “shortness of breath” is involved, it’s a frightening situation. That’s something that can potentially be life-threatening. And when it happens at a seemingly random moment, it’s even scarier.
So, while there’s undeniably more attention that needs to be paid, the positive update is a great step in the right direction.