The Astros came up big in a series against the Mariners but the team still has no firm return date for slugger Yordan Alvarez.

Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez took a small step toward returning from a hand injury by hitting off a pitching machine, manager Joe Espada said Friday. Alvarez did not hit against a machine on the field.

Yordan Alvarez is frustrated with his current predicament. When he was scratched from the Astros’ lineup on May 3 with right hand soreness, the thought then was that he would be out of action for a minimal amount of time.