Jose Altuve scratched from Astros lineup due to left oblique discomfort
Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve was pulled from the lineup Wednesday prior to the team's game against the Colorado Rockies.
Jose Altuve has been scratched from the Astros' lineup. The Astros say "a medical update will be available on him later today." Altuve appeared to injure himself during pregame batting practice. Went into the clubhouse with bench coach Joe Espada in the middle of his group
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 4, 2023
Altuve apparently injured himself in batting practice and was not seen in the dugout during the game. The Astros provided an update on their second baseman afteward, telling reporters that Altuve was feeling discomfort in his left oblique. He missed multiple games against the Angels in June because of a similar issue.
The eight-time All-Star has been dealing with other injuries in recent months, including a fractured thumb during the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Due to his fractured thumb, Altuve missed Opening Day for Houston this season, marking the first missed season start of his pro career.
Currently, the Astros are three games back of the Texas Rangers in the AL West. Temporarily losing Altuve again could be detrimental to the Astros' chances of catching up.
Aside from Altuve, Houston has multiple key players out due to injury. All-Star left fielder Yordan Alvarez is dealing with oblique issues of his own and hasn't played in nearly a month since aggravating an oblique during Houston's June 8 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Veteran outfielder Michael Brantley has been "shut down from baseball activities," according to Astros manager Dusty Baker, as he has yet to fully recover from shoulder surgery that cut his 2022 season short.
After the Astros' 4-1 win over the Rockies, Baker didn't have many concrete updates on Altuve's status.
“We’re waiting to analyze him. He’s pretty upset,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said of Jose Altuve (left oblique). Baker said it’s too soon to tell if Altuve will require an IL stint.
— Danielle Lerner (@danielle_lerner) July 4, 2023
With the slew of injuries Houston has been dealt, the reigning World Series champions' quest to defend their title becomes even more difficult.
