Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve seems headed for a lengthy stint on the injured list after being hit on the hand with a pitch while playing for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.
A Houston athletic trainer was concerned Altuve’s thumb was broken but had not received a scan to confirm a break, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced a diagnosis. The player was to have his hand looked at by team doctors Sunday.
“It appears it could be a while,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said Sunday morning after Altuve returned to camp in West Palm Beach, Florida, according to a Houston Chronicle report.
It’s the second major injury in the World Baseball Classic, coming three days after New York Mets All-Star closer Edwin Díaz sustained a season-ending knee injury during the postgame celebration of Puerto Rico’s 5-2 win over the Dominican Republic.
Altuve left Saturday’s game against the United States in the fifth inning after being hit on the right hand by a Daniel Bard fastball. The Americans won 9-7 to reach the tournament’s semifinals. Altuve did not answer questions from media after Saturday’s game, saying only in Spanish: “All is good.”
Altuve is an eight-time All-Star, three-time batting champion and 2017 AL MVP. The career .307 hitter was a key part of the Astros’ two World Series championships.
Utilityman Mauricio Dubon, who batted .208 games last season, is expected to move into the lineup to replace him.
Altuve may be out ‘a while’ due to a hand injury, Baker says originally appeared on NBCSports.com