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July 7: DH/LF Yordan Alvarez (knee contusion) out of lineup
Alvarez, who was struck on the right knee by a 94 mph fastball thrown by Twins pitcher Joe Ryan in the sixth inning Saturday, was out of the lineup for Sunday's series finale. Alvarez wasn't available to speak to reporters, but manager Joe Espada said : "He's doing well. He's sore, getting treatment. He's going to go in the cage and try to take some swings, but he's pretty sore this morning."

Speaking after Saturday's game, Alvarez said the knee was the same one struck by a pitch a few weeks ago.

"My knee is pretty inflamed right now at the moment," Alvarez said. "I got hit the same spot there a couple of weeks ago, and the inflammation of that one hadn’t fully gone away. My knee’s in a lot of pain right now, but we’ll see how I feel tomorrow.”

July 7: RHP Jake Bloss set to rejoin the rotation
Bloss, who suffered shoulder discomfort in his first Major League start June 21, threw four scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three batters, in a rehab start at Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday. Bloss was called up to the big leagues straight from Double-A, so that was his Triple-A debut. Espada said Bloss texted him a "thumbs up" after the outing, so Bloss will be slotted into the Major League rotation on Friday or Saturday.

Bloss threw 34 of his 55 pitches for strikes, striking out three batters and walking none in his outing. The Astros' No. 9-ranked prospect, Bloss threw his sweeper six times and got four swings and misses, but mainly relied on his four-seam fastball, throwing it 29 times. The 23-year-old averaged 93 mph on his fastball and topped out at 95.6 mph for his hardest throw of the night.

July 6: C Victor Caratini (left hip flexor strain) needs to ramp up running
Caratini has been out since injuring his hip flexor on June 19, an injury he described Saturday as a Grade 2 tear. He joined the club this weekend in Minneapolis to ramp up his rehab, which includes hitting, catching and throwing. The last hurdle for him is running, which is he's doing at 80-85 percent. When he can run 100 percent without any issues, he'll be able to get out on a Minor League rehab assignment.

"It feels good," he said. "I'm getting better every single day, taking it step by step, and hoping to rejoin the team soon."

Caratini said he initially injured the area earlier in the game against the White Sox when he struck by a foul ball, but an awkward slide at home plate a couple of innings later led to a more severe injury.

July 4: RHP Justin Verlander (neck stiffness) playing catch every other day
The Astros want to make sure Verlander is "100 percent healthy" before activating him, which means the right-hander is unlikely to return until after the All-Star break.

Verlander, who has been on the injured list since June 18 (retroactive to June 16), is playing catch every other day at a distance of 60 feet, manager Joe Espada said on Wednesday.

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10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST

RHP Jake Bloss (right shoulder inflammation)
Expected return: July 11-12
Bloss, who landed on the IL after injuring his shoulder in his Major League debut on June 21, threw 55 pitches in four scoreless innings in a rehab outing with Triple-A Sugar Land on July 6. Espada indicted on July 7 that Bloss came out of the start feeling well and is line to be slotted into the rotation on the upcoming homestand. (Last updated: July 7)

C Victor Caratini (left hip flexor strain)
Expected return: After the All-Star break
Caratini joined the Astros during their series in Minneapolis from July 5-7 to continue his rehab. Caratini will need a rehab stint in order to get some at-bats ahead of rejoining the big league club, but he will need to ramp up his running to 100 percent before beginning an assignment. The Astros should have a better timeline for Caratini's return once they start their homestand against the Marlins and the Rangers on July 9.

Caratini, who sustained his injury sliding into home plate on June 19 in Chicago, was facing about a four-week recovery, according to the team. That timetable puts his return around the All-Star Game, but likely after. He was slashing .248/.287/.429 with four homers and 17 RBIs in 115 plate appearances as the Astros’ backup catcher. (Last updated: July 5)

OF Kyle Tucker (right shin contusion)
Expected return: After the All-Star break
Tucker was placed on the injured list on June 7, retroactive to June 4, after he fouled a ball off his right shin on June 3. He has slowly begun ramping up his physical activity while he recovers, with manager Joe Espada saying on July 5 that Tucker is "getting closer" to doing some drills on the field.

"We really want him to feel good enough to go out here and start running in the next few days, but he continues to play catch, he's hitting," Espada said. "The next step is to come out here and start doing some stuff in the outfield." (Last updated: July 5)

RHP Justin Verlander (neck stiffness)
Expected return: After the All-Star break
Verlander, who was scratched from his June 15 start against the Tigers, initially felt as though he would be able to avoid a stint on the injured list, but he was placed on the IL (retroactive to June 16). The right-hander returned to playing catch every other day at a distance of 60 feet in early July, which is good news, but the Astros don't expect Verlander to return until after the All-Star break. (Last updated: July 4)

60-DAY INJURED LIST

RHP Luis Garcia (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Late July
Garcia, who has been out since May 2023, made his second rehab start on July 4, going 1 1/3 innings at Double-A Corpus Christi and giving up four runs and three hits, including two homers. He threw 21 of 31 pitches for strikes and hit 94 mph. Garcia struck out two batters and didn't allow a hit or a walk. He averaged 92.7 mph with his four-seam fastball. Garcia won 26 games for the Astros from 2021-22. (Last updated: July 5)

RHP Oliver Ortega (right elbow surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Ortega on June 26 underwent a second surgery in a span of a few months. He had a bone spur removed, putting him out for the rest of the season. Ortega, who has yet to pitch for the Astros in the regular season, had surgery in March to remove loose bodies in his right elbow. He joined the Astros after being claimed off waivers from the Twins on Oct. 25 and appeared in two Grapefruit League games. (Last updated: June 28)

RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (right forearm surgery)
Expected return: August
McCullers threw a 25-pitch bullpen session June 22, followed by a one-inning simulated game in the bullpen of 10-15 pitches. McCullers is throwing all his pitches and is over 90 mph with his velocity. He's in line to return to competitive baseball somewhere in the 13-15-month window from the surgery he had last June to repair his flexor tendon and remove a bone spur. (Last updated: June 22)

RHP Kendall Graveman (right shoulder labral surgery )
Expected return: Maybe September, likely 2025
Graveman, acquired by the Astros for the second time at last year’s Trade Deadline, posted a 2.42 ERA in 23 appearances for Houston in August and September, but he didn’t pitch in the playoffs because of right shoulder discomfort.

Graveman underwent season-ending surgery in January to repair a torn labrum and clean out his rotator cuff. He's started a throwing program with the remote chance to return at the end of the season. (Last updated: June 21)

RHP Penn Murfee (right elbow surgery)
Expected return: August
Murfee, claimed off waivers on March 27 from the Braves, has progressed to throwing in the bullpen (no sliders) and hopes to progress to facing hitters soon. He underwent UCL surgery in 2023. (Last updated: June 21)

RHP Cristian Javier (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Javier underwent Tommy John surgery on June 6, ending his 2024 season. He was unable to throw a scheduled bullpen session due to right forearm discomfort and was placed on the IL on May 27 for the second time this season. He was previously on the IL from April 21 to May 11 with neck discomfort.

The right-hander was 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA in seven starts with the Astros this year, including three quality starts. Javier was moved to the 60-day IL on June 16. (Last updated: June 16)

RHP José Urquidy (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Urquidy underwent Tommy John surgery on June 5. He was pulled out of his May 24 rehab start at Triple-A after experiencing right forearm inflammation. (Last updated: June 7)

LHP Bennett Sousa (left shoulder inflammation)
Expected return: 2025
Sousa was headed towards a spot on Houston's Opening Day roster before what he described as an inflamed nerve sent him to the IL to begin the season. Sousa said he experienced some numbness and soreness in his hand and "tried to grind through it."

Sousa underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome on April 3 and was shut down for the season. (Last updated: April 6)

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