Minutes before the Houston Astros opened a two-game set on July 4 against the Colorado Rockies, All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve was scratched.
HOUSTON — Just minutes before the Houston Astros opened a two-game set against the Colorado Rockies inside Minute Maid Park, All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve was scratched from the lineup.
Altuve was in the original lineup provided by the Astros prior to Tuesday's game but was announced as a scratch a little more than an hour before first pitch.
Originally slated to be Houston's designated hitter and bat leadoff against Colorado left-hander Kyle Freeland, Altuve was pulled from the lineup with no explanation given at the time of the move. Further information was to come later in the afternoon and we will provide that below as we are live inside the press box inside Minute Maid Park.
Houston Astros will be without Jose Altuve for July 4 game against Rockies
Tuesday's series opener was an anticipated one for many Astros fans when it comes to Altuve as it marks the first time he and Rockies reliever Daniel Bard will be on the same field since Bard (pitching for Team USA) hit Altuve (batting for Venezuela) in a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal, breaking his hand and setting him on a path that would lead to starting the season on the injured list.
Altuve, however, has come back strong from the injury, entering Tuesday's game slashing .264/.371/.479 in 121 at-bats covering 32 games. The 33-year-old former All-Star has found his power groove at the plate in recent games, smacking three homers in his last seven games to up his season total to six. During the last seven games, Altuve has slashed .333/.471/.704.
In Altuve's place, Mauricio Dubón will hit at the top of the order in the revised lineup and play second, while Corey Julks bats second as the team's designated hitter.
His presence at the top of the order will be missed against the Rockies on Tuesday. Will it be a long-term issue for Altuve and Houston, or is this a temporary problem? We'll know more once the game starts and will update the article below with the latest news.