Valbuena, who hit his 11th home run of the season during Monday's win over Baltimore, went deep again with a solo shot in the Astros' 6-4 win on Tuesday.

While Valbuena is tied with Evan Gattis for the team lead with 12 home runs, he's hitting just .199/.270/.431 with a disappointing .701 OPS over 181 at-bats this season.

Valbuena is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the White Sox.

Jonathan Villar will start at third for Valbuena, who is likely just getting some rest and should be back Sunday.

Valbuena is out of the lineup Saturday.

He will get the day off with a lefty on the mound for the Tigers. Jonathan Villar will get the start at third base Saturday and is hitting second.

Valbuena is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the A's.

It looks to be a scheduled day off for Valbuena, who will cede the third base duties to Jonathan Villar as Marwin Gonzalez enters the lineup at shortstop. Valbuena has started each of the last 13 games but is hitting just .190 with 19 strikeouts in 58 at-bats this month.

Valbuena hit his 10th home run of the season during Sunday's 4-2 win over the Blue Jays.

Valbuena, who is hitting a mere .108 off left-handers this season, opened the scoring Sunday with a solo shot in the first inning off Blue Jays starter Mark Buehrle. He's six home runs shy of tying his career-high during a season (16) that he set last year with the Cubs.

Valbuena hit his eighth home run of the season during Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Giants.

Through the first month-and-a-half of the season, the 29-year-old third baseman has already hit half the number of home runs that he hit in all of 2014. While Valbuena is flashing impressive power, he's hitting only .200/.271/.433 over 120 at-bats thus far.

Valbuena hit a solo home run -- his seventh of the season -- in Tuesday's 7-1 loss to the Rangers.

Valbuena took Rangers' starter Wandy Rodriguez deep in the first inning, but Houston managed only two hits thereafter to drop their second straight game to AL West division rival Texas. While Valbuena's power indicators have been great, he's hitting just .211 through 24 games for the Astros this season.

Valbuena is out of the lineup Sunday against the Mariners.

Valbuena will get a regular day off with left-hander J.A. Happ on the bump for the opposing Mariners. Considering that Valbuena is just 2-for-21 at the dish against left-handers this season, the move certainly makes sense from a matchup standpoint. Jonathan Villar will take over at the hot corner.

Valbuena had an RBI double among three hits and four runs scored during Tuesday's 14-3 rout of the Padres.

Valbuena isn't hitting for average (.225), but he's contributed 11 runs, five homers, nine RBI and a stolen base through 18 games this season. The 29-year-old third baseman has been sitting against most left-handed starters, but he's been hitting second in the lineup against right-handers, which bodes well for his fantasy value.

Valbuena is out of the lineup Sunday against the Athletics.

Manager A.J. Hinch will keep Valbuena on the bench with lefty Drew Pomeranz slated to start for the Athletics, as Marwin Gonzalez draws in at third base. Over 325 career plate appearances against lefties, Valbuena owns a lowly .227/.312/.350 line and has struck out 23.7 percent of the time.

Valbuena went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI in Monday's 7-5 win over the Mariners.

After an 0-for-10 start to his season, Valbuena is 10-for-31 (.323) with five home runs and seven RBI over his last eight games.

Valbuena went 1-for-3 with two walks, two RBI, a stolen base and his third home run of the season in his return to the lineup Sunday against the Angels.

Valbuena, who did not play Saturday against a left-handed starter, hit out of the two-hole for the Astros on Sunday and delivered with a two-run homer in the third inning off Garrett Richards. Through 10 games, he's hit between second and sixth in the batting order with a .211/.286/.474 slash line.

Valbuena is out of the lineup Saturday against the Angels.

Valbuena is 2-for-2 against Saturday's starter C.J. Wilson, but manager A.J. Hinch will play the matchups rather than look at the small sample and slot Jonathan Villar in as his third baseman. Through nine games this season, Valbuena is batting .200 (7-for-35), but he does have a pair of homers already.

Valbuena went 2-for-3 with a walk during Tuesday's 4-0 loss to the A's.

After going hitless in his first three games as a member of the Astros, Valbuena now holds a four-game hitting streak to raise his average to .214 on the season.

Valbuena hit his first home run of the season on Sunday against the Rangers.

Valbuena's home run in the second inning off Colby Lewis traveled 353 feet to right field and was his only hit of the game in six at-bats. The 29-year-old third baseman moved down from third in the Astros' lineup to the cleanup spot with Chris Carter getting a day off. Valbuena has just three hits in his first 21 at-bats this season with six strikeouts against only one walk.

Valbuena is not in the lineup Friday against the Rangers.

Valbuena, who hit .217 against left-handers last season, will sit with Derek Holland on the hill for the Rangers. Jonathan Villar will start at third base and bat sixth in his stead.

Valbuena will bat third for the Astros on Opening Day against the Indians.

Valbuena will be rewarded for his hot spring, during which he hit .380 with six doubles, two home runs and nine RBI in 17 Grapefruit League games. He figures to open 2015 as the Astros' everyday third baseman, even against left-handers.

Valbuena is batting .429 (15-for-35) with five doubles and two home runs through 13 spring training games.

Matt Dominguez got the start at third base Wednesday and went 1-for-5, lowering his spring average to .250. None of Dominguez's nine hits this spring have gone for extra bases. Astros manager A.J. Hinch told MLB.com earlier this month that Valbuena is "going to play a lot" this season, suggesting Valbuena will be the primary option at third to start the year, though Hinch stopped short of naming him the full-time starter. The 29-year-old Valbuena could still find himself on the bench against lefties.

Valbuena went 2-for-2 with a solo home run Thursday in the Astros' 6-3 Grapefruit League win over the Phillies.

Valbuena, who was acquired by the Astros via trade in January, homered in the fourth inning off Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez. He'll compete with Matt Dominguez this spring for the Astros' starting third base spot.

Valbuena has been traded to the Astros in the Dexter Fowler deal.

Valbuena will compete for the Astros' starting third base spot and could be considered the favorite with Matt Dominguez continuing to trend downward. The hole left at third in Chicago could be filled by Mike Olt, Tommy La Stella, or Arismendy Alcantara.