May 11: Altuve is not in the Astros lineup today, but manager Joe Espada told reporters (including ) this morning that the veteran came in today feeling better and that he could be back in the lineup in a day or two. May 10: Astros veteran began todays game against the Reds at second base, but was pinch hit for by in the third inning. Houston later announced that he had departed the game with what they termed tightne s in his right hamstring. Further information about Altuves status will likely be available after the game, including whether the i sue is severe enough that the 35-year-old will require a trip to the injured list. Altuve has gone on the shelf due to hamstring problems twice in his career, once in 2019 and once in 2022, though both of those instances were due to strains of his left hamstring. That he doesnt have a substantial history of hamstring i sues on his right side provides some reason for optimism, but it should still be expected that the Astros will at least send Altuve for an MRI to determine the severity of the i sue. Amos Otis Jersey Even mild hamstring strains can take a few weeks to recover, so it would hardly be a surprise if the club ended up deciding to place Altuve on the 10-day injured list. Sensible as that decision may be, it would be difficult for the Astros to replace Altuve. The nine-time All-Star hasnt looked like himself at the plate this year, hitting just .259/.304/.374 with a below average 93 wRC+ and what would be the highest strikeout rate of his career in a 162-game season, but Houstons depth from which to replace Altuve is the lineup is minimal at best. Rodgers and would surely be the clubs choices to handle duties at the keystone, but both have hit even le s than Altuve to this point in the calendar. Second base is no longer Altuves primary position, however, after he moved to left field during Spring Training. With already on the injured list at present, the clubs outfield and DH mix would be paper thin if Altuve were to be removed from the mix. is playing every day in center field, but the outfield corners would be patrolled by some combination of (95 wRC+), (90 wRC+), and . Dezenzo has mostly looked good (117 wRC+) in 20 games with the Astros this year, though his 29.5% strikeout rate is high enough to raise alarm bells. Perhaps can help fill in at DH until Alvarez returns from the shelf with joining the lineup behind the plate, but that does little to solve the lackluster production from the outfield corners. Even with Altuve in the mix, the Astros production in left field this year is the third weakest in all of baseball. Removing Altuve from the mix would only serve to weaken that production, and the only other outfielder on the 40-man roster is , who sports a lackluster 67 wRC+ at the Triple-A level this year. Barring an external addition or the surprise promotion of a prospect like , an injury for Altuve would likely mean even rougher production in the outfield for an Astros club that has already fallen to third place in the AL West with a pedestrian 19-18 record. A.j. Hinch Jersey