Jose Altuve leaves Astros game with knee injury

Jose Altuve became the latest Astro to exit a game earlier than expected

Altuve’s struggles this year have been well-documented, but despite his seemingly weekly viral infamy, he’s still a former MVP and All-Star. The Astros current status as an almost surefire American League playoff team has often been overshadowed by the flaws of one of their greatest stars, and the overall gloom of the sign-stealing scandal.

Should Altuve have to miss significant time, Houston would be out a leader in the clubhouse and, historically, one of the best hitters of his era. Dusty Baker knows it’s not an absence they can afford, which is why Altuve’s removal (even if a precaution) should be taken seriously by fans and pundits alike.

Altuve was the victim of one of the more awkward slides in MLB this season

While it’s unknown if these things are directly correlated, Altuve did slide awkwardly into third base earlier in the game. Heading into third base, Altuve wanted to ensure he wasn’t tagged out from behind and got a solid head start on his slide, getting down early. Unfortunately, Altuve had a little bit too much momentum, and rather than completing his slide and rising to his feet, he lost control and slide directly into the bag from the seat of his pants.

Said slide looked painful, and will leave a bruise regardless of whether or not it contributed to Altuve’s knee issue. Altuve’s batting average is up to .218 after lingering under the Mendoza line for much of the shortened season.

Should he be rounding into form, any sort of extended absence would be brutal for Houston entering the final month of the regular season.

Next: Are we being too hard on Jose Altuve?

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