Injuries and sports- name a more iconic combo. News of players getting injured due to an on-field mishap is nothing new in any sport. This is especially true for body contact sports or those requiring a bat and ball to play.
Baseball has definitely seen its fair share of gruesome and brutal injuries. In fact, almost every season, a player walking to the medical tent makes the sporting news. So was the Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve taken out of the game due to this?
Jose Altuve, Houston Astros’ slugger, was removed from the game against the Miami Marlins because he fouled off his shin. He limped around a little before staying put to finish his at-bat. The Astros then brought in Mauricio Dubon to replace him. Altuve suffered a left knee contusion and will be evaluated before being allowed on Wednesday’s match.
Why Did They Take Altuve Out of the Game?
Jose Altuve was taken out by the Houston Astros early against the Miami Marlins. The slugger fouled off his shin but stayed put in the game to end his at-bat. Second baseman Jose Altuve limped for some time before he finished the at-bat.
The scrappy infielder earned his massive 1,997th career hit during the at-bat since he beat out one infield single. If he can get to 2000, he will only be the third player in Astros’ history to do so. The Astros then brought Mauricio Dubon to replace him as Altuve went with the team doctors to the tunnel to treat his injury.
Obviously, Jose Altuve wouldn’t have wanted to sit out a match due to an unfortunate injury. However, fitness is eluding him because he suffered a broken thumb in the World Baseball Classic, for which he had to undergo surgery. So this season, Altuve didn’t even debut till May 19 because of this.
As a result, he had to miss out on playing a whopping 71 games in the season. So he has played in only 50 games this season. For now, the player will be considered on a day-to-day basis till he goes through the required testing.
The team reported that Altuve’s X-rays had returned negative and that Altuve suffered a left knee contusion. Manager Dusty Baker said that Altuve was feeling sore. Before Wednesday’s series finale, he would be re-evaluated. Yahoo reported the manager stating:
“You could tell that it was pretty bad for him to come out of the game.”
However, even amid the pain, Altuve interacted with fans by signing some posters and even gave his jersey to a starry-eyed and ecstatic young boy who was there to watch the game.
Fans and his teammates are hoping that this injury is insignificant because the Astros need him in their lineup and ready to fire. After all, this team’s success has come thanks to Altuve. He has hit .323/.422/.545 through 49 games, nine home runs, and 12 stolen bases.
The team is 68-52, which has put them in the cozy second spot in the American League West. The Texas Rangers lead the division. The Astros are only 3.5 games behind them.
Pitching has been a strong suit of the team because they have an ERA of 3.79, which is the third-best in the game. Besides Altuve, Kyle Tucker has also helped the Astros with his 88 RBIs and 22 home runs.
What are your thoughts on Jose Altuve’s injury?
Will he be fit to play on Wednesday? If he is absent, will it affect the Astros hugely?
Let us know in the comments below.
