Astros Get “Encouraging” News On Injured Jose Altuve
Injured Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is dealing with fatigue and soreness in his right leg, though it doesn’t appear to be a major issue. The Astros received “encouraging” news after evaluating Altuve on Tuesday, according to manager A.J. Hinch. However, Altuve’s going to need time to “strengthen his lower half,” per Hinch. Altuve added he hopes to return to the diamond “pretty soon” (Twitter links via Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle).
The 29-year-old Altuve has been on the 10-day IL since May 11 because of a problem with his other leg – a left hamstring strain – but looked as if he’d be able to return by Wednesday before this setback occurred. Now, though, it’s unclear when he’ll be ready to come back. Altuve underwent surgery on his right knee last October. Between that and Altuve’s importance to the Astros, who signed the six-time All-Star to a five-year, $151MM extension in March 2018, they’re inclined to take a cautious approach in this situation.
Even with Altuve and George Springer on the IL (and the banged-up Carlos Correa out Monday), the loaded Astros have continued to roll over their competition. They beat the Cubs on Monday to move to 13-4 since Altuve went down. Houston now boasts an elite 37-19 record and a seven-game lead over white-hot Oakland in the AL West.
Injury Notes: Astros, Lyles, Vincent, Reid-Foley
Astros stars Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa are both being evaluated by the team’s medical staff for potential injuries, the team told reporters Tuesday (Twitter links via Jake Kaplan of The Athletic). Altuve was already on the injured list but reported feeling fatigue and soreness his right leg after playing minor league rehab games on consecutive days. That’s all the more notable given that Altuve underwent right knee surgery following the 2018 season. As for Correa, he was scratched from tonight’s lineup due to discomfort in his ribs and is being evaluated back in Houston. President of baseball operations Jeff Luhnow downplayed the potential for a serious issue, however, stating that he doesn’t expect either issue to be a long-term problem (Twitter link via the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome). It’s possible that either could be out “a couple weeks,” per Luhnow, although obviously an exact timeline is impossible to gauge until the medical staff has completed its tests.
Some more injury notes from around the league…
- The Pirates announced that right-hander Jordan Lyles exited tonight’s game due to hamstring discomfort. Lyles has been one of the best one-year signings of this past offseason, but he struggled through a second straight rough Tuesday, surrendering three runs on three hits and a pair of walks in four innings of work. Though his last two outings haven’t been sharp, Lyles still boasts a 3.09 ERA, 9.1 K/, 3.1 BB/9, 0.81 HR/9 and a 43.1 percent ground-ball rate in 55 1/3 innings. The Pirates have placed Jameson Taillon, Chris Stratton and Keone Kela on the injured list in May. If he requires a trip to the IL, the Bucs could turn back to top prospect Mitch Keller, who was recalled for a spot start yesterday but optioned back today.
- Giants right-hander Nick Vincent exited tonight’s game with trainers, and The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly notes (via Twitter) that Vincent was motioning toward his neck/collarbone area as he departed the game. He’s been used heavily by the Giants, frequently pitching two- or more innings at a time. Prior to the 2019 season, Vincent had never thrown more than 64 2/3 innings in a Major League season, but he’s already up to 30 2/3 frames on the year. Correlation certainly doesn’t equate to causation in this instance, but the uptick in workload is at least worth a mention. Vincent looked like a potential trade chip less than three weeks ago, as he had a 2.25 ERA and a 25-to-6 K/BB ratio in 24 innings back on May 10. Since then, he’s surrendered 13 runs in his past four appearances — a span of just 6 2/3 innings.
- It appears there’s some concern regarding young Blue Jays right-hander Sean Reid-Foley, as Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com tweets that Reid-Foley exited Tuesday’s start for Triple-A Buffalo in what looked to be “a lot of discomfort.” The former second-round pick loaded the bases and walked in a run before exiting the game with a member of the Bisons’ training staff. Reid-Foley has had a tough season in Buffalo so far, entering play Tuesday with a 6.60 ERA through 45 inning of work. To his credit, he’s picked up 50 strikeouts in that time, but he’s also issued 34 walks, hit four batters and thrown four wild pitches. [Update: Chisholm tweets that the Jays are calling the injury a back strain but hopeful that he can avoid even missing a start in Buffalo.]
Jose Altuve Nearing Return
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, on the injured list since May 11, will start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle relays. The Astros are “hoping” to get Altuve back by Wednesday, their last contest before a seven-game road trip, general manager Jeff Luhnow said.
Altuve has missed the Astros’ past 13 games because of a left hamstring strain, making this just the second IL trip since his glorious career began in 2011. Although Altuve has been a linchpin in Houston throughout his big league tenure, the club has rolled to a 10-3 record without him to gain an even greater stranglehold on the American League West. Their success has come thanks in part to second base reserve Aledmys Diaz, who has enjoyed a well-timed hot streak in Altuve’s absence.
While Diaz has filled in with aplomb for Altuve, the latter’s return will make the juggernaut Astros that much stronger. The 29-year-old Altuve wasn’t as excellent as usual prior to landing on the shelf, but he still hit a respectable .243/.329/.472 (117 wRC+) with nine home runs and 18 walks against 25 strikeouts in 164 trips to the plate. A .234 batting average on balls in play, down 108 points from Altuve’s career mark (.338), has helped drag down the six-time All-Star’s numbers thus far.
Injury Notes: Astros, Puig, Yankees, Rosenthal
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is eligible to return from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, but that won’t happen, according to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Instead, Altuve – who has been on the IL with a strained left hamstring since May 11 – will embark on a rehab assignment in the coming days. Altuve’s injury forced the Astros to turn to Aledmys Diaz at second, which worked out initially during a Diaz hot streak, but the latter has been dealing with his own hamstring strain since Friday. Fortunately for Houston, Diaz could return early in the upcoming week, per Rome.
- Continuing with the Astros, outfielder George Springer left the team’s game Sunday with lower back stiffness, according to Rome. Astros doctors will examine Springer on Monday. In the meantime, all the Astros can do is hope Springer won’t miss any time. The 29-year-old has already posted 2.9 fWAR, the same total he accrued in 140 games last season, on the strength of a .313/.396/.654 line (179 wRC+) with an American League-leading 17 home runs.
- Reds outfielder Yasiel Puig is hoping to avoid an IL stint after suffering a sprained right shoulder Sunday, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. Puig incurred the injury against his former team, the Dodgers, on a leaping catch, though he doesn’t think it’ll lead to an absence from Cincinnati’s lineup. Regardless, Puig’s off to a rocky start in his first season outside of Los Angeles, having hit .206/.253/.358 (58 wRC+) in 178 plate appearances.
- There were concerns over banged-up Yankees starters James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka on Saturday, but both are making good progress, Sarah Langs of MLB.com explains. The same holds true for reliever Dellin Betances, who hasn’t pitched this season because of a bone spur in his right shoulder.
- Nationals reliever Trevor Rosenthal is close to returning to the majors, manager Dave Martinez told Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post and other reporters Sunday. Rosenthal went to the IL on April 26 with a viral infection, which came on the heels of an embarrassing start to the season for the former Cardinals closer. The 28-year-old Rosenthal didn’t record an out until April 10, his fifth appearance of the season, and has allowed 12 earned runs on seven hits and nine walks (against three strikeouts) in three innings.
Astros Place Jose Altuve On Injured List
10:59pm: Altuve’s IL placement is official, Kaplan reports. His roster spot will indeed go to Martin.
5:53pm: The Astros are likely to send second baseman Jose Altuve to the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain, manager A.J. Hinch announced Saturday (via Jake Kaplan of The Athletic and Mark Berman of Fox 26). The promotion of right-hander Corbin Martin will be the corresponding 25-man roster move, per Kaplan.
Altuve exited Friday’s game with the strain, and even though Hinch noted the Astros don’t think it’s serious, they’re erring on the side of caution with one of their cornerstones. For now, they’ll turn to Aledmys Diaz at the keystone and have Yuli Gurriel back him up, according to Kaplan.
This will be only the second IL placement in Altuve’s career since he made his major league debut in 2011. The six-time All-Star missed three weeks last summer with a right knee injury, but that didn’t stop him from producing at an elite level for the fifth straight season.
Altuve, 29, hasn’t been his usual great self thus far in 2019, thanks in part to a sure-to-rise .234 batting average on balls in play, though he has still hit a respectable .243/.329/.472 (119 wRC+) with nine home runs and a 25:18 K:BB ratio in 164 plate appearances. Altuve’s replacement, Diaz, has also done well avoiding strikeouts, having fanned in just 13.8 percent of plate trips. However, Diaz has still only mustered a .217/.246/.383 line (66 wRC+) with two HRs in 65 attempts.
Injury Notes: Dodgers, Mariners, Altuve, Mets
The Dodgers expect their top two starters, left-hander Clayton Kershaw and right-hander Walker Buehler, and shortstop Corey Seager to be ready for the beginning of the season, manager Dave Roberts said Sunday (Twitter links via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com). Kershaw – who has been working back from a shoulder issue for two weeks – is set to throw a bullpen session Monday, while Buehler will throw live batting practice again Tuesday or Wednesday. Though Buehler’s not injured, the Dodgers are taking a careful approach with the 24-year-old wunderkind this spring after he experienced a massive innings increase from 2017-18. The Dodgers have also been cautious with Seager, who’s coming off Tommy John surgery and a left hip procedure.
- Manager Scott Servais issued updates on a few key Mariners on Sunday, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times and Greg Johns of MLB.com (all Twitter links). Third baseman Kyle Seager, brother of the aforementioned Corey Seager, underwent an MRI on Saturday on his injured left wrist. The results aren’t available yet, however. Outfielder Mallex Smith, who has been shelved the past few weeks because of a strained flexor mass in his right forearm, is making progress and could take batting practice Monday. Reliever Hunter Strickland has been unavailable since last Sunday with lower back tightness, but Servais doesn’t think it’s serious, nor should it keep the former Giant out for much longer.
- The Astros are shutting down second baseman Jose Altuve “for a few days,” manager A.J. Hinch told Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle and other reporters Sunday. Altuve’s battling left side soreness, though the Astros don’t believe it’s anything “alarming,” and they’re hoping the superstar can return to Grapefruit League action late next week, according to Hinch.
- Mets reliever Drew Smith is heading back to New York for an evaluation of his sore right elbow, Tim Healey of Newsday was among those to report. Smith’s attempt to win a season-opening spot in the Mets’ bullpen is on hold as a result. In his first major league action last season, the 25-year-old pitched to a 3.54 ERA/3.66 FIP with 5.79 K/9 and 1.93 BB/9 over 28 innings.
Injury Notes: Altuve, Duffy, Seager
We’ll use this post to keep track of minor injuries throughout the day…
- Jose Altuve was scratched from a spring game for the second time in three days due to left side soreness, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Altuve underwent knee surgery in October to repair a patella avulsion fracture in his right knee. Still, the soreness does not appear to be a major cause for concern, as neither Altuve nor manager A.J. Hinch expressed anything but confidence about Altuve’s ability to get back on the field in short order. Altuve has been remarkably healthy throughout his career, hitting the injured list for the first time in eight seasons last year, though he still appeared in 137 games while hitting .316/.386/.451 and accumulating 5.2 rWAR.
- Matt Duffy has experienced discomfort in his left hamstring, keeping him from spring action, per MLB.com’s Juan Toribio. Duffy has played in only one game this spring as a result of the injury, and at this point it’s likely he won’t be ready by Opening Day. The 28-year-old burst onto the scene in his 2015 rookie campaign with San Francisco, slashing .295/.334/.428 on the way to an out-of-nowhere 4.4 fWAR. Achilles injuries muddied his 2016 campaign and cost him all but eight minor-league PAs in 2017, but the former 18th rounder steadied himself at his former third-base home last season, posting a solid 106 wRC+/2.4 fWAR for the upstart Rays.
- Mariners 3B Kyle Seager will see be sidelined for “several days” after an ill-advised dive in Friday’s game resulted in an injury to his left wrist, as MLB.com’s Greg Johns details. A slimmed-down Seager had looked to rebound after a sloppy 2018 campaign, which saw the 31-year-old post career-worsts in OBP, SLG, wRC+, and fWAR. His hard-hit rate, though, remained at a robust 37%, and the lefty rededicated himself to nutrition and fitness during a busy offseason at his North Carolina home. Ryon Healy, who made just two appearances at the hot corner last season, figures to get time there in the interim.
AL Notes: Altuve, Merrifield, Brantley, Gray
Jose Altuve provided an update on his rehabilitation from knee surgery, telling MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart and other reporters that he’s “not doing a lot” in the early stages of his recovery process, though “the only thing they told me is we’re going to be 120 percent for the first day of Spring Training, and that’s what really matters.” Altuve underwent the procedure shortly after the Astros were eliminated from the ALCS, after playing through the injury for much of the second half of the season. More will be known later in Altuve’s rehab process, though for now, it doesn’t seem like the surgery will keep Altuve from being ready to go for next season.
Here’s more from around the American League…
- Whit Merrifield is arguably the Royals‘ biggest trade chip, though the team’s lack of interest in dealing him is indicative of GM Dayton Moore’s unique team-building process, Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star writes. On paper, a player who turns 30 in January doesn’t have much long-term value to a Royals team that has 2021 as its internal start date to once again be competitive. Moore, however, has spoken openly about how disappointing the 2018 season was for the Royals, and he has been hesitant to enter into a full rebuild. As Mellinger puts it, “holding onto Merrifield serves several purposes simultaneously: projects hope and confidence to players and fans, helps maintain culture of professionalism in the clubhouse, creates the best possible team for 2019, provides time to see what might be needed in a few years, and retains the ability to trade a presumably still valuable asset next summer or winter.”
- “There is nearly a zero chance Michael Brantley will return to the” Indians in 2019, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. A reunion between the two sides seemed pretty unlikely, as Brantley’s strong 2018 season has put him in line for a lucrative free agent contract. This made him an imperfect fit to return to the Tribe’s outfield, as Cleveland may be exploring ways to cut some veterans from the payroll while still looking to contend again next season.
- Three evaluators from rival teams shared their thoughts on Sonny Gray with George A. King III of the New York Post, noting that the Yankees right-hander still has some solid trade value despite a rough season in the Bronx. “I think he [has value] because with the way starting pitching is right now, you look at him as a reclamation project. There has to be value with what starting pitching has become,” one evaluator for an AL rival said. Between Gray’s good numbers away from Yankee Stadium, his past track record, youth, and one remaining year of arbitration control (at a $9.1MM salary, as projected by MLBTR’s Matt Swartz), it isn’t surprising that at least five teams have reportedly called the Yankees about Gray’s services.
Jose Altuve Undergoes Knee Surgery
4:50 PM: Altuve underwent surgery to repair a patella avulsion fracture in his right knee, according to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart (Twitter link). Per McTaggart, an avulsion fracture as defined takes place when a small part of the bone attached to the knee’s tendon or ligament has loosened.
12:26 PM: Astros second baseman Jose Altuve underwent surgery on his right knee Friday, Mark Berman of Fox26 and MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reported (Twitter links).
McTaggart pointed out yesterday that the 2017 AL MVP played through knee pain throughout the second half of this season. Still, the exact diagnosis has not yet been revealed by either Altuve or the team, and the Astros have yet to confirm the surgery. As of right now, Altuve is expected to make a full recovery in time for Spring Training.
Altuve was the DH for the final three games of the ALCS against Boston, but manager AJ Hinch said the injury would have sent Altuve to the disabled list had it been the regular season. Presumably, the knee worsened as the year wore on. Altuve originally injured the knee while sliding into second base in a game against Colorado all the way back in July.
Before the injury, Altuve hit .329/.392/.464, whereas after the injury he hit .276/.366/.409. Nevertheless, the three-time AL batting champ still finished the season with an overall slash line of .315/.384/.449 and 134 wRC+.
Astros Activate Jose Altuve From Disabled List
The Astros announced tonight that they’ve activated reigning American League MVP Jose Altuve from the disabled list. He’d been out since July 26 due to a right knee injury. Houston also selected the contract of lefty Framber Valdez (as had already been reported) and optioned both Cionel Perez and Kyle Tucker to Triple-A Fresno.
Altuve returns amid a pivotal series against the Mariners, who sit just 3.5 games back of the Astros and the surprising Athletics in an AL West race that is vastly closer than most expected heading into the season. Prior to landing on the shelf, he was in the midst of another excellent season, albeit one that hasn’t quite matched last year’s extraordinary pace. Through 454 trips to the plate, Altuve is hitting .329/.392/.464 with nine homers, 24 doubles, two triples and 14 steals.
In Altuve’s absence, Yuli Gurriel and Marwin Gonzalez picked up much of the slack at second base. Gurriel now figures to return to first base, with Gonzalez continuing to be deployed all over the diamond in a super-utility role.