HOUSTON -- The Astros could have second baseman Jose Altuve back in their lineup as early as this weekend’s series against the A’s, which would be three weeks after he sustained a left oblique strain while swinging the bat and landed on the 10-day injured list.
Altuve took live batting practice at Daikin Park before Wednesday’s game against the Pirates, facing 30 pitches from left-handed Minor League reliever Adam Shoemaker, who was signed by the club out of independent ball last week. Altuve will do another intensive live BP session on Thursday, after which he could be activated without needing a Minor League rehab assignment.
“I feel great today,” Altuve said. “Obviously, we’ve been doing a lot of running and swinging and everything necessary to go back to 100 percent healthy, and I feel we’re one day closer. Every day, we’re feeling better and better, and that’s what matters right now.”
Astros manager Joe Espada wouldn’t commit to Altuve returning to action this weekend, saying the club would determine that based on how he feels after Thursday’s live BP, which will come against a yet-to-be-determined right-handed pitcher
“He looked good,” Espada said. “He took a ton of swings. He ran the bases and did his defense.”
Altuve said the swings he took Wednesday weren’t quite where he needed them to be in a game because his timing was off a bit. But he says his body feels great from running and throwing.
"We’re going one day at a time, but everything feels great,” he said. “I’m getting some momentum to go back to 100 percent. I like where I’m at and I think let’s focus on tomorrow, get that live BP and feel good and go from there.”
Altuve left the Astros’ 4-1 win over the Rangers on May 16 in the eighth inning after hitting into a double play in which he was in so much pain he was unable to run out of the batter’s box. He underwent an MRI the following day and was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 18. Altuve was slashing .245/.326/.380 with four homers and 12 RBIs in 42 games.
Altuve missed only three weeks with a strained left oblique in 2023 and has generally healed quickly from soft-tissue injuries because of how well he takes care of his body.
“I think every injury is different, every body is different,” Altuve said. “What I have, maybe other players have never had, and vice versa. I just like to focus on me. I don’t like wasting time. If I can get back one day, two days earlier than we thought, I'll be good with that. Right now, I feel great and one day closer to playing.”
The Astros are getting healthier by the week. On the day Altuve went on the injured list in May, shortstop Jeremy Peña was activated after missing five-plus weeks with a hamstring strain. The club activated All-Star closer Josh Hader from the injured list before Tuesday’s game, marking his first time on the active roster this year.
Meanwhile, a pair of starting pitchers are on Minor League rehab at Triple-A Sugar Land. Cristian Javier, who’s been out for two months with a right shoulder strain, was scheduled to make his first rehab start Wednesday for Double-A Corpus Christi. And ace Hunter Brown, who made two starts in March before suffering a shoulder strain, is scheduled to make his third rehab start Thursday for Triple-A.