Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez leaves game against Rangers with sprained left ankle

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HOUSTON (AP) — Astros All-Star left fielder Yordan Alvarez will undergo an MRI on Tuesday after he left Monday’s game against the Texas Rangers with a sprained left ankle.

“It did not look good out on the field,” Astros manager Joe Espada said after a 6-3 win over the Rangers.

Through a team spokesman, Alvarez declined to speak to reporters after the game until he knew more about the nature of his injury, but he was seen leaving the Astros clubhouse on a crutch and a boot on his left foot.

After scoring from first base on a throwing error by Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter on Carlos Correa’s infield single in the first inning, Alvarez was tended to by a trainer outside the Astros' dugout and then helped down the steps. Zach Cole entered the game in right field in the second inning, with Jesús Sánchez moving to left.

“I saw him coming around, and when he stepped on home plate I had a front row seat,” Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña said. His ankle kinda twisted, then when he went to plant again, I saw it twist again. It’s not pretty. You don’t want to see that.”

With Alvarez out of the game, Cole went 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs as the Astros increased their lead for the American League’s final wild-card spot to 2 1/2 games over Cleveland and pulled one-half game behind Seattle for first place in the American League West.

Alvarez entered Monday’s game batting .273 with six home runs and 27 RBIs, but has been limited to 47 games due to a fractured right hand that forced him to miss 101 games.

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