Astros' bad injury luck just took a turn at worst possible time for Mariners

The Houston Astros have been hit with some of the worst injury luck in baseball in 2025. And just when it seemed like they might finally get healthy, the bad news kept piling up.

Yordan Alvarez, the centerpiece of their lineup and one of the game’s most feared hitters, is sidelined with a serious ankle injury that has no clear timetable for return. His absence couldn’t come at a worse time for Houston, with the season winding down and the AL West title seemingly on the line.

Alvarez’s injury is just the latest in a staggering run of significant injuries for Houston. Lance McCullers Jr., Luis García, Josh Hader, Cristian Javier, Jeremy Peña, Jose Altuve, and a slew of other pitchers and hitters have all missed significant chunks of the season, leaving the Astros scrambling to fill holes. On paper, they still look like a contender, but they haven’t had the roster stability to back it up.

The Astros get a key piece back in time for huge series with Mariners

There is at least one major twist, though, as Isaac Paredes is returning from his hamstring injury on Friday night. Brian McTaggart of MLB.com was first with the news:

Before going down back on July 19, the slugging third baseman was one of Houston’s most reliable bats, posting strong power numbers and giving the lineup a much-needed right-handed presence.

His return could not only cushion the blow of losing Alvarez, but also arrives at the worst possible time for Seattle. In a weekend series with division title implications, the Mariners suddenly have to prepare for a dangerous right-handed bat capable of changing games with one swing.

For Seattle, this series was already crucial. Beating Houston with Alvarez sidelined would have given them a prime chance to bury their rival and take full control of the AL West once and for all. But with Paredes reentering the lineup, the will have to seriously limit their mistakes. The Mariners still hold the upper hand given Houston’s laundry list of injuries, but Paredes’ bat (and the dreaded Crawford Boxes) adds an element of danger the Astros have sorely lacked in recent weeks.

If the Mariners want to prove 2025 is truly their year, they’ll have to do more than just take advantage of Houston’s injury woes. They’ll need to withstand the spark Paredes might bring and make sure they finally bury a team that has dominated this division for the better part of a decade.