Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve has been activated from the injury list and makes his season debut tonight against the Oakland Athletics.
Altuve has not played since the World Baseball Classic when he represented his native Venezuela, where a fastball to the hand fractured his right thumb. The 33-year-old underwent surgery as a result of the injury.
Tonight, Jose Altuve returns. pic.twitter.com/H95PEmcyD5
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 19, 2023
Altuve has spent his 13-year career with the Houston Astros, winning two World Championships, appearing in eight all-star games, winning three batting titles, and earning the 2017 AL MVP honors.
Mauricio Dubon has played well as the primary second baseman in Altuve’s absence, leading the team with a .309 batting average and 46 hits across 37 games. David Hensley has filled in as well. Both will become strong depth pieces as the Astros hope to make a run with the face of the franchise back.
Houston sits at 24-19 and is second in the AL West behind the Texas Rangers. Still, the Astros are -140 favorites to win the AL East on the FanDuel Sportsbook and +750 to repeat as World Series champions.
First pitch is at 8:10 p.m. ET tonight, with the Astros being -250 on the moneyline over the A’s.
