Veteran Astros infielder Jose Altuve is set to undergo imaging Sunday morning after exiting Houston’s 4-1 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday with a left side injury.
Altuve left the game in the eighth inning after sustaining the injury on a swing. He hit the ball, grounding it to third but did not run out the play, instead grimacing in pain and walking back toward the dugout.
“It’s not good he couldn’t even get out of the box and run,” Astros manager Joe Espada said.
Altuve went directly to the clubhouse after he was evaluated outside the dugout by Espada and a Houston athletic trainer. He declined comment postgame, saying he would wait until he gets his MRI before speaking about the injury.
Altuve, 36, entered Saturday hitting .245 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 41 games this season for the Astros. He’s played his entire 16-year career with Houston, posting a career .302 average with 258 homers and 900 RBIs.
Should Altuve need to go on the injured list, it would add to the Astros’ serious infield injury woes. Third baseman Carlos Correa is out after undergoing season-ending ankle surgery, and shortstop Jeremy Pena remains on the IL with a hamstring strain.
