On Tuesday, the Houston Astros announced that star second baseman Jose Altuve will begin his injury rehabilitation assignment with their Triple-A affiliate, the Round Rock Express. Altuve has been out of action since April 15th due to a hamstring strain suffered in a game against the Seattle Mariners.
Altuve, a five-time All-Star and the 2017 American League MVP, is widely considered one of the best players in baseball. He is a career .311 hitter with 1,564 hits and a .845 OPS. He is also a two-time AL batting champion and has won three Gold Glove Awards.
The Astros have been without Altuve for the majority of the season and have struggled to find consistent production from the second base position. His return to the lineup could provide a much-needed spark for a team that has underperformed in 2021.
Altuve is expected to join the Round Rock Express for their game on Wednesday night against the Oklahoma City Dodgers. He is expected to play five innings at second base and then move to designated hitter for the remainder of the game. He will then be reevaluated and could potentially join the Astros as early as Friday.
The Astros are hoping that Altuve can return to form quickly and help them turn their season around. With his return, they should be able to get back to playing their brand of baseball and competing for a playoff spot.
It will be interesting to see how Altuve performs in his rehab assignment and if he can make an immediate impact when he returns to the Astros lineup. For now, Astros fans can take comfort in knowing that their star second baseman is on the mend and will soon be back in action.
