Inside the Astros

Houston Astros Head to Toronto With Altuve's Role In Question

As the Houston Astros head to Canada for a four-game series, second baseman Jose Altuve may not see much field time.

Regina Ham

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

The Houston Astros were without one of their franchise cornerstones as second baseman Jose Altuve wasn't in the Astros' lineup for the second consecutive day.

Altuve “felt something in his oblique” during a swing he took in Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels but no MRI was done.

He may not see the field on Monday as they head to Toronto.

The eight-time All-Star ran and threw on the field pregame on Sunday, but did not hit or play at second. Astros manager Dusty Baker said he was “day-to-day” and it's unclear if he will be available Monday.

It's only been two weeks since Altuve was activated off the injured list on May 19. A fractured thumb suffered in the World Baseball Classic sidelined Altuve for the first 43 games of the season.

Since his return, Altuve is hitting .286/.388/.500 with two homers, six RBI and a .888 OPS in 42 at-bats.

He's been beneficial for the Astros. They're 9-2 this season with Altuve in the lineup.

Mauricio Dubon had been putting in time at second base until Altuve's return but saw increased playing time over the weekend.

The Astros lost 2-1 to the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, snapping a 3-game winning streak. 

Houston is 35-24 in the American League West, just three and a half games back of the division-leading Texas Rangers. 

More From SI's Inside The Astros:

Published
Regina Ham
REGINA HAM

Regina Ham is an editor and writer for Inside the Astros. As an alumna of the University of Maryland-College Park, she studied both broadcast and multimedia journalism. A six-year veteran of the sports industry, she's worked in radio, television, and online media. You can follow her on Twitter @regina_ham or Instagram @reginamariesports. Upon her undergraduate education, Regina went to work in 2016 for Sirius XM-Satellite Radio on College Sports Nation/ESPNU for two years. During her time in school, Regina interned at a variety of Washington, D.C.-area media organizations, including NBC Sports Washington and WTOP. There she assisted in coverage of local MLB and NHL teams. She also interned down at WAAY 31 in Huntsville, AL and worked on stories regarding the local Minor League Baseball affiliate and SEC football. Regina worked in international sports television for almost four years, covering sports from MLS to the KHL and the KBO. She joined Philly Sports Network in 2022 and covers both the Phillies and Philadelphia Flyers before joining the Sports Illustrated network in 2023. You can follow her on Twitter @Regina_ham or on Instagram @reginamariesports. If you have any questions or comments, she can be reached at regina.ham28@gmail.com.

Home/News