José Ricardo Álvarez (born May 6, 1989) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, and Philadelphia Phillies.
He was signed as an international free agent by the Boston Red Sox in 2005. In the minor leagues, Álvarez was a 2009 New York–Penn League mid-season All-Star, and a 2011 Florida State League mid-season All-Star.
In the winter of 2014–15, he was named Venezuelan Professional Baseball League Pitcher of the Year. He made his major league debut in 2013. In 2018 he was second in the American League in appearances, with 76.
On December 6, 2018, Álvarez was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, for relief pitcher Luis Garcia. Alvarez made his first start in five years on June 1, 2019, as the Phillies’ opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2019 with the Phillies he was 3–4 with one save and a 3.36 ERA, as he pitched in 67 games (one start) over 59 innings.
In 2020, during an August 20 game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Alvarez was struck in the groin by a line drive hit, leading to an injury that caused him to be inactive for the remainder of the season. In 2020 he was 0–0 with a 1.42 ERA in 61⁄3 innings in which he struck out 6 batters over eight games.
There are no details about his marital status. He may be married or unmarried. There are also no rumors about his wife and girlfriend.