TORONTO -- The return of starting second baseman Jose Altuve to the Astros’ lineup on Wednesday after he missed four games doesn’t mean Mauricio Dubón is headed to the bench to stay. And if you’ve watched this team for any stretch of games this year, you know that’s a good thing.

The 28-year-old won’t finish the season as the team leader in hits, he certainly won’t come anywhere close to hitting the most home runs and he’s not going to win a Gold Glove -- heck, he’s not even on the All-Star Game ballot -- but his contribution to the Astros this year, especially with Altuve missing the first 43 games of the season, has been as valuable as anyone not named Yordan Alvarez or Kyle Tucker.

Dubón went 2-for-4, including his first career leadoff homer, in Tuesday’s 5-1 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. He combined with rookie outfielder Corey Julks (2-for-3) for all four of the Astros’ hits, as Houston was shut down by Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman, who struck out a career-high-tying 13 batters in seven innings. This, of course, came on the heels of the Astros’ season-high 19-hit outburst in Monday’s series opener.

“He’s been great for this team,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said of Dubón. “The guys enjoy having him around, plus he’s always upbeat. He’s proven himself that he’s a very good player.”

Indeed. Dubón didn’t show much last year after being traded from the Giants on May 14, hitting .208 with three homers and 16 RBIs in 83 games as a part-time player in Houston. He appeared in six games on defense in the playoffs and became the first Honduran-born player to win a World Series, which meant a trip home to be celebrated by friends and family.

This year, Dubón has proven to be just as popular among Astros fans as with those in his native country. When Altuve fractured his right thumb in the World Baseball Classic, Dubón began the season as the starting second baseman and flourished, including a 20-game hitting streak in April. He’s slashing .294/.323/.390 with 55 hits, which ranks fourth on the club behind Tucker (59), Alex Bregman (58) and Jeremy Peña (58). That’s pretty good company.

“I know I’m good, I know I belong here, I know I’m one of the guys,” said Dubón, who broke into the Majors with the Brewers in 2019 and was traded to the Giants that summer. “I’m trying to show my teammates that I’m a good teammate and go out there every day and try to perform.”

Dubón has also played terrific second base this year. He was flying around the turf on Tuesday with abandon, including robbing Santiago Espinal of a hit with a diving stop and throw to first base in the seventh inning.

“I get along with him and we hit a lot in the offseason together,” Dubón said of Espinal. “I’m going to hear about that one from him.”

When Altuve made his season debut on May 19, Dubón’s playing time was slashed -- and understandably so. Bregman (third base) and Peña (shortstop) are core players, and Dubón hasn’t played first base in the big leagues. The Astros also have a glut of outfielders, which made getting his bat in the lineup difficult.

He played a few games at second after Altuve’s return, as well as one start at shortstop on May 26 and one in left field on May 29. Altuve injured his oblique on Friday, but he will be back in the lineup Wednesday. And so will Dubón, who is starting at shortstop with Peña getting a rare day off.

“My job is to get on base, my job is to make something happen,” said Dubón. “Get on base for Alvarez, get on base for Breggy, for [José] Abreu, for Tuck.”

Dubón is thrilled that Altuve will be back in the lineup despite what it means for his playing time in the long run. He knows the Astros’ lineup works better with the franchise icon and sparkplug at the top of the order. Being around Altuve and watching him has made Dubón a better player, too.

“It’s crazy, just because you're talking about a future Hall of Famer,” Dubón said. “Having him as a friend, it’s actually pretty nice. I tell people all the time, he’s a better person than a baseball player. That shows the type of person he is. He always congratulates me with the stuff I do, and it's pretty awesome watching him help me out.”