The Houston Astros suffered a tough blow during the World Baseball Classic when star second baseman Jose Altuve, who was playing with Team Venezuela, was hit by a pitch and suffered a broken thumb.
Altuve has been out ever since being hit by that pitch.
However, the defending World Series champions are about to get a major boost.
The veteran second baseman and two-time World Series champion is set to make his return on Friday as the Astros take on the floundering Oakland Athletics.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today provided the news of Altuve’s return on Twitter, revealing that the team had officially activated their star second baseman.
Exactly two months to the day that Houston #Astros All-Star Jose Altuve suffered a broken right thumb after being hit by a pitch in the WBC, he is now back, officially activated for tonight’s game against the Oakland #Athletics.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) May 19, 2023
Having Altuve back should give the defending World Series champions a major boost as they look to continue gaining ground on the Texas Rangers in the competitive AL West division.
The 33-year-old is an eight-time All-Star and has won three batting titles, a Gold Glove, an MVP, six Silver Slugger Awards, and an ALCS MVP Award.
For his career, the veteran slugger owns a .307 batting average, has hit 192 home runs, posted a WAR of 46.5, and an OPS of .830.
The Astros are currently two games behind the Rangers in the AL West and riding a four-game winning streak.
The team has also won seven of their last 10 games.
The return of Altuve will give the Astros another power bat in their lineup as they look to catch and pass the Rangers while defending their second World Series title.
Houston is 24-19 on the year.
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