Houston Astros' Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker Get Rest Days With AL West Title Secured

Neither Jose Altuve nor Kyle Tucker are in the Houston Astros' starting lineup for their series finale against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.

Sep 22, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) looks up after a play during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Second baseman Jose Altuve and right fielder Kyle Tucker are not starting against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, according to the team's official lineup card.

Altuve and Tucker are just getting rest days, as neither is not known to be actively nursing an injury. The Astros won the AL West title on Tuesday and are 5.0 games out of a bye in the AL playoff picture with four games to go, so they don't have anything tangible left to play for this regular season.

As a result, the Astros will let the pair of All-Stars rest up heading into the franchise's eighth consecutive playoff berth.

Altuve struggled to stay healthy in 2023, appearing in just 90 regular season games as a result of thumb and oblique injuries. Even though he has bounced back to play in 152 games here in 2024 – his most since 2017 – it makes sense to give the 34-year-old as many days off as possible while gearing up for a critical postseason run.

Tucker, on the other hand, is only 27 years old, but he spent two months on the injured list with a right shin contusion this summer. He has appeared in 16 of 18 games since returning, so more time off feels warranted.

Altuve is batting .293 with 20 home runs, 65 RBI, 22 stolen bases, a .784 OPS and a 3.3 WAR this season, while Tucker is batting .281 with 23 home runs, 48 RBI, 11 stolen bases, a .993 OPS and a 4.6 WAR.

With Altuve riding the bench, Shay Whitcomb is set to start at second base. Jason Heyward will start in right with Tucker out, batting sixth.

Third baseman Alex Bregman is one of the few Astros stars who is starting Wednesday, considering outfielders Yordan Alvarez and Chas McCormick have both been ruled out for the week with knee and hand injuries, respectively. Bregman is slated to hit free agency this winter, so the matinee contest could be his final regular season home game in Houston.

First pitch from Minute Maid Park is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. ET. The Mariners are 2.5 games out of the third AL Wild Card spot, needing to win to stay in the hunt, so they will surely appreciate playing a shorthanded Astros squad.

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