Jose Altuve left Saturday’s game against the Texas Rangers after an awkward ending to an eighth-inning at-bat, raising another concern for a Houston team already stretched thin by injuries. Altuve rolled over a groundball to third base with a runner at first base and no outs, then appeared to grab his left side instead of running down the first-base line.
Video showed Altuve grimacing after the swing and again while walking toward the dugout. Manager Joe Espada and an athletic trainer met him and escorted him to the clubhouse, and Altuve did not come back out to play defense in the ninth inning.
Before he left, Altuve had given Houston a fast start by homering in the first inning against Texas starter Jacob deGrom. The swing later in the game changed the tone for the night, because the Astros have 14 players on the injured list and cannot absorb many more losses without it affecting every part of the roster.
That injury list already includes Hunter Brown, Josh Hader, Carlos Correa and Jeremy Peña. Correa has already undergone season-ending surgery on his left ankle, while Peña has not played since April 11 because of a hamstring strain and is now on a minor-league rehab assignment. If Peña avoids setbacks, he should rejoin Houston during its upcoming road trip to Minnesota.
For Altuve, the immediate question is whether Saturday was a brief scare or the start of another absences Houston can barely afford. For the Astros, it is the same question they keep facing: how long can a contender keep playing while key names keep disappearing from the lineup and the mound?
