HOUSTON -- As if the Astros haven't had enough injures to deal with lately, including a neck injury that sidelined ace Dallas Keuchel for two months, there could be another one. Their All-Star second baseman, Jose Altuve, left Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Nationals after six innings with discomfort in his neck.
The Astros are hopeful it isn't serious, and Altuve is listed as day to day. Houston begins a brief three-game road trip to play the Angels, starting on Friday.
Altuve (aka "Tuve" for Players Weekend) left the game immediately following his at-bat against Stephen Strasburg, a hard lineout to left field to end the sixth inning.
"I felt it in the swing," said Altuve, the American League's leading hitter (.357) who was 1-for-3 with a fourth-inning single.

"Actually, I felt it in my at-bat before. I realized I felt it again and it was getting worse. 'OK, there's something happening here.' We made the decision to get me out of the game."
In his final at-bat, Altuve grimaced after swinging and grimaced again trotting to first base. In the top of the seventh, J.D. Davis replaced Altuve in the third spot in the batting order and took over at third base. Alex Bregman, who had three of Houston's nine hits, moved from third to shortstop and Marwin Gonzalez switched from short to second base. Davis contributed his first Major League home run in the 11th inning.

"He took a swing and felt something in his neck, so he left with some neck soreness," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "I took him out, he didn't feel good. He's day to day."
"I'm not used to coming out of the game, so I don't know how I'm going to feel [Friday]," Altuve said. "I want to make sure we're on the same page and see what happens.
"You have to be worried, but I don't think it's something that's really, really bad."