Oblique strain could sideline Alvarado 2-6 weeks

ST. PETERSBURG -- After struggling recently, Rays reliever José Alvarado won’t have the opportunity to break out of his funk by pitching through it.

That’s because the team announced Saturday that the powerful left-handed reliever sustained a right oblique strain while surrendering a run in two-thirds of an inning in the Rays’ 4-3 win over the Yankees.

In that game, Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks hit a two-out single that brought in a run, and after the play, Alvarado could be seen wincing as he bent over. He was subsequently pulled from the game.

“I felt fine going up to it, I felt normal, I felt strong,” Alvarado said through an interpreter. “I just didn’t expect anything to happen like it did.”

Though the injury is still being evaluated -- an MRI was scheduled for Sunday -- the outlook was not promising.

Manager Kevin Cash said Alvarado could miss “some time,” and that the situation “wasn’t encouraging.” Alvarado was told the injury, depending on its severity, could sideline him for anywhere from two to six weeks.

That would likely mean a trip to the injured list, though the team is yet to announce an official move. Considering the All-Star break will give the club four days off, any future move can be retroactive to Sunday.

“Personally, it’s something that’s out of my control,” Alvarado said. “No one wants to get hurt or be hurt. Everyone wants to be a good teammate and be out on the field. Unfortunately, it’s something that happened. It’s unexpected, but you have to keep moving forward.”