The Houston Astros placed Jose Altuve on the injured list after the second baseman suffered a Grade 2 left oblique strain during Saturday’s game against Texas. MLB.com reported the move following Houston’s 8-0 loss Sunday.
Altuve’s injury came at the worst possible time. He was facing Nathan Eovaldi – one of his favorite matchups in baseball.
The numbers tell the story. In 58 career at-bats against the Rangers starter, Altuve went 19-for-58 with seven home runs. That’s the kind of dominance that makes pitchers sweat.
Instead, Altuve watched from the clubhouse as Eovaldi threw seven shutout innings in Sunday’s blowout.
The injury happened in typical Altuve fashion – he knew immediately something was wrong. With Houston leading 4-1 in Saturday’s eighth inning, Altuve made contact on a grounder to Josh Jung but didn’t bother running to first base. He walked straight to the dugout, holding his side as Jung turned an uncontested double play.
It’s the same injury that cost Altuve 20 games in 2023. Grade 2 oblique strains don’t heal quickly, and the Astros haven’t provided a timeline for his return.
This puts Houston in a tough spot. Altuve becomes the 15th injured player on their roster, joining shortstop Jeremy Pena, third baseman Carlos Correa, outfielder Jake Myers, starter Hunter Brown and closer Josh Hader on the sidelines.
The Astros are already struggling at 19-29, and losing their veteran leadership makes things worse. Through 42 games this season, Altuve was hitting .245/.326/.380 with four homers and 12 RBI – not his usual numbers, but the nine-time All-Star’s presence in the lineup means everything.
What makes this particularly frustrating is the timing. Eovaldi’s been around for 15 years, but Altuve owns him like few hitters own any pitcher. Missing that matchup probably stung almost as much as the oblique.
The Astros need bodies back soon. With injuries affecting every part of their roster, they’re running out of options to turn their season around.
