Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez is set to miss more time this season with a "significant" left ankle sprain, Houston manager Joe Espada said on Tuesday.

Espada said Alvarez will be "out for a while," so a long-term plan hasn't been decided on yet. There is a chance he could return this season, which ends on Sunday, Sept. 28. The Astros currently sit in the last AL wild-card spot, so Alvarez could be needed for the postseason, too.

“Let’s not get into days or weeks or anything like that,” Espada said, via . “We are going to take one day at a time, but this is going to take some time to heal. We don’t have that many days left in the regular season. He’s in there getting some treatment, getting some work done. Hopefully he’s not out for a long period of time.”

Alvarez suffered the injury during Monday night's game vs. the Rangers. Alvarez was sprinting from third base and opted against sliding into home. He touched home plate with his left foot and appeared to roll his ankle after scoring. Alvarez could barely walk off the field under his own power, and was removed from the game as a result of the injury.

The three-time All-Star just returned to the majors on Aug. 26 after being out since May 2 while he dealt with a small fracture in his hand.

Through 48 games this season, Alvarez has averaged .273/.367/.430 with 45 hits, 17 runs, 27 RBIs and six home runs.