Altuve to rejoin Astros on Saturday

PITTSBURGH -- All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve will rejoin the Astros on Saturday and be in the lineup against the Pirates after missing three games on the bereavement list following the death of his grandmother in Venezuela. He actually arrived in Pittsburgh on Friday, but manager Bo Porter told him to stay at the team's downtown hotel.

Altuve left Monday's game in Detroit with a partially dislocated jaw following a collision with teammate Jimmy Paredes, but is healthy again.

"It's obviously been quite a whirlwind for him the last few days," Porter said. "Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to him. He's back here in Pittsburgh and we'll have him back here tomorrow and in the lineup and ready to go. I'm sure he's looking forward to getting around his teammates and getting back on the baseball field."

Altuve's return means infielder Jake Elmore will be sent back to Triple-A following Friday's game, Porter said. Elmore was recalled when Altuve went on the bereavement list Tuesday and has played well. His average stands at .364 (4-for-11) after going 1-for-3 with an RBI single in Friday's 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh.

"He's come here and done all the things in which we know he's capable of doing," Porter said. "He's gotten on base and bunted, and is a good base runner and a solid defender. He's done nothing but make us believe at some point through the course of the year he's going to be able to help our ballclub, just like he's helped us a few days in Altuve's absence."

Elmore hopes he's impressed the coaching staff.

"You come up and play as well as you can and hope you open some eyes and that's all you can do," he said. "You can't start worrying about whether you'll get sent down. You have to go out and play."