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 their game against the Colorado Rockies.

Altuve apparently injured himself during batting practice and was not seen in the dugout during the game. The Astros provided an update on their second baseman, telling reporters that Altuve was feeling discomfort in his left oblique. Altuve missed multiple games against the Angels in June with 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 start for Houston this season, the first missed season start in his pro career.

Currently, the Astros are only three games back of the Texas Rangers for the AL West lead. Temporarily losing Altuve again could be detrimental to the Astros’ chances of catching the Rangers.

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. Alvarez hasn’t played in nearly a month after 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. Brantley 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.

With the slew of injuries that Houston has been dealt, the reigning World Series champions’ quest to defend their title is even more difficult.