Houston Astros Give Positive Injury Update on Stars

Jose Altuve and Michael Brantley are with the Houston Astros in Anaheim and are putting in work to get back on the field.

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker provided injury updates on both second baseman Jose Altuve and outfielder Michael Brantley in advance of the Astros’ second-half opener against the Los Angeles Angels.

Turns out the news was positive on both players.

The Astros scratched Altuve from a start on July 4 after he injured himself during batting practice. Two days later the Astros placed Altuve on the 10-day injured list with left oblique discomfort. Altuve was eligible to be activated on Friday, but he’ll likely head to a minor league affiliate for a rehab assignment before being activated.

MLB.com reported that Altuve is with the team in Anaheim and spent part of Friday “taking soft toss on a tee in the cage.”

It means Altuve is swinging the bat, which is a good sign for the 33-year-old veteran, who has already missed considerable time this season.

He missed the start of the season with surgery on his fractured right thumb, an injury that occurred during the World Baseball Classic.

Altuve returned on May 19 and, aside from a short break from June 3-6 due to a minor setback, he’s played nearly every day. That setback was an oblique injury.

Altuve is batting .264 with six home runs and 18 RBI this season.

Brantley, meanwhile, hit off a tee on Friday. His recovery from offseason shoulder surgery stalled before the All-Star Break, to the point where the Astros chose to shut him down for the final days leading up to the break. Baker said at the time that Brantley’s recovery had “plateaued.”

The Astros re-signed Brantley in the offseason, knowing that he would need time to work his way back. As late as early July he was taking batting practice sessions.

Baker didn’t provide a timetable for the return of either player.

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