HOUSTON -- Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez will begin a rehabilitation assignment at Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday, moving him closer to a return after sitting out for more than three months.

"It's really good news," manager Joe Espada said. "The fact that he's feeling better and we're getting to a point where we can see him back is awesome."

Alvarez has been out since May 3 with a small fracture in his right hand that was initially diagnosed as a muscle strain.

Alvarez was in Houston on Sunday before the team's series finale against Baltimore after returning from the Astros' spring training facility in Florida, giving Espada a chance to talk with him.

"He is feeling better," Espada said. "Good enough to start a rehabilitation assignment."

Espada said Alvarez would need

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