Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (illness) is not in the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Brewers. Altuve was lifted from Tuesday night's affair early because he was feeling under the weather, and he's also being held out in a matinee contest the following day. The 33-year-old All-Star will also have the team's off day on Thursday to rest up, so there's a good chance fantasy managers will have him back for the start of a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics on Friday. Altuve has played in only three games this year after suffering a fractured thumb in the World Baseball Classic, and he has three hits in his first 12 at-bats. Mauricio Dubon is at second base and is batting leadoff for Houston on Wednesday against Brewers right-hander Adrian Houser.

Updating a previous report, Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker said that second baseman Jose Altuve (illness) left Tuesday's game early against the Milwaukee Brewers because he was feeling sick. The team is evaluating him. The move to pull the 33-year-old All-Star was a precaution after he went 1-for-3 before departing. Mauricio Dubon replaced him at the keystone. Fantasy managers should consider Altuve day-to-day for now, and hopefully he'll be back in action on Wednesday. Altuve just returned from a fractured thumb that he suffered in the World Baseball Classic, and he was playing in just his fourth game of 2023 on Tuesday night. When he's on the field, Altuve remains a must-start in fantasy lineups.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve left Tuesday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers with an apparent injury, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. The injury and severity are unknown as of now, so fantasy managers should stay tuned for more info. Before his exit, Altuve was 1-for-3 with a single in just his fourth game of the season after a fractured thumb kept him out to begin 2023. If the 33-year-old has to miss more time, expect Mauricio Dubon to take back second-base duties. The former San Francisco Giant held his own before Altuve made his season debut and is batting .305 with one homer, 29 runs, nine RBI, and three stolen bases over 39 games.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (thumb) will be activated from the 10-day injured list on Friday and will make his 2023 debut against the Oakland Athletics and left-hander Ken Waldichuk. Altuve went just 2-for-22 in five minor-league rehab games for Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land, but the Astros apparently weren't too concerned and think he's ahead of schedule after fracturing his right thumb in the World Baseball Classic. The 33-year-old All-Star could be slow out of the gates offensively for fantasy managers, but the most important thing is that he's back in action. Mauricio Dubon had been seeing most of the playing time at the keystone with Altuve out, but he'll now mostly be in a bench role for Houston.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (thumb) will not play for Double-A Corpus Christi on his minor-league rehab assignment on Thursday, according to manager Dusty Baker. Altuve will come back to Houston to work out at Minute Maid Park, and Baker said there's a chance that Altuve will make his season debut on Friday, depending on how he comes out of Thursday's workout. The 33-year-old has looked rusty at the plate on his rehab assignment, but he could come off the 10-day injured list to make his first start this season on Friday. Fantasy managers may want to expect some rust at first at the big-league level, too, but getting him back will be huge. When Altuve is back for the 'Stros, Mauricio Dubon is expected to move to more of a utility role.

Houston Astros All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve (thumb), who has been out all year after fracturing his right thumb in the World Baseball Classic, is joining Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday to continue to his minor-league rehab assignment. He has gone 1-for-13 in three rehab games for Triple-A Sugar Land. "He hasn't a bunch of hits, but he feels good," manager Dusty Baker said. "He's going to go to Corpus and spend a couple of days down there. He knows his timing is off a little bit so he wants to be wide open when he gets here and have everything be back to normal." If everything goes well at Double-A, Altuve could make his season debut this weekend against the Oakland Athletics.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (thumb) has begun a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land but was cold at the dish over the weekend, going 0-for-9 with a pair of strikeouts. He's now 1-for-13 overall through three games with no extra-base hits. Fantasy managers shouldn't look too much into it, as Altuve is trying to come back from a fracture in his thumb that he sustained in the World Baseball Classic, and the 33-year-old has proved plenty with the bat. Over 141 games in 2022, the former MVP slashed .300/.387/.533 with 28 homers, 103 runs, 57 RBI, and 18 stolen bases. If he's 100 percent once he returns, possibly by the end of May, expect similar numbers for the remainder of the season.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (thumb) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Friday with Triple-A Sugar Land. Altuve is finally getting closer to making his 2023 debut after fracturing his right thumb in the World Baseball Classic. The 33-year-old will be a huge boost to the Astros lineup and to fantasy managers alike, but he first needs to get through his rehab assignment without suffering any setbacks. It might not be a short rehab assignment, but Altuve should be back in the big leagues well before the calendar flips to June. When Altuve does make his much-anticipated return, Mauricio Dubon will go back to being more of a bench player for Houston.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (thumb) took batting practice before Saturday's game against the Seattle Mariners. Altuve has been sidelined all season since he broke his thumb while playing in the World Baseball Classic in late March. The 33-year-old is eligible to come off the 60-day injured list on May 25. He is set to undergo imaging and could begin a rehab assignment shortly. Altuve is trending in the right direction and, barring any setbacks, could return to action by June. Mauricio Dubon should continue to see an uptick at at-bats and handle leadoff duties while Altuve remains sidelined.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (thumb) fielded ground balls at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday, his first baseball activities since having surgery to fix a fractured right thumb in late March. He was scheduled to visit with a doctor on Tuesday to gauge the progress on his broken right thumb. There's still no timetable for the 32-year-old All-Star's return to the Astros, but it's a good sign that he's beginning baseball activities. Altuve needs to remain stashed in all fantasy leagues until he makes his 2023 debut, which will hopefully come in early June, barring any setbacks in his rehab. Mauricio Dubon has been seeing most of the playing time at the keystone and has been hitting leadoff regularly with Altuve on the sidelines.

According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (thumb) is "ahead of schedule," an update provided on Sunday by general manager Dana Brown. The 32-year-old hasn't played this season after fracturing his right thumb in the World Baseball Classic. Altuve is expected to return in June. However, he has "great movement and flexibility" in the thumb and will undergo an x-ray within the next few weeks to determine where he is in the recovery process. Altuve has remained productive despite his decade-plus length of service for the Astros. He finished last season with a .300 average with 158 hits, 57 RBI, and 28 home runs in 527 at-bats. Fantasy managers should stay patient and optimistic, as the veteran could return sooner than expected. Keep him stashed.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (thumb) and outfielder Michael Brantley (shoulder) are both starting the 2023 season on the 10-day injured list. Pitchers Blake Taylor, Parker Mushinski and Lance McCullers Jr. are also starting on the 15-day injured list. The Astros are optimistic that Altuve can make his season debut before June after fracturing his right thumb in the World Baseball Classic. With the All-Star second baseman on the shelf, Mauricio Dubon is starting at the keystone on Opening Day and is batting ninth. Altuve needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues. Brantley missed all of spring training after having shoulder surgery late last year, and he's expected to miss all of April.

Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown said on Monday that the team could put second baseman Jose Altuve (thumb) on the 60-day injured list to begin the 2023 season. Altuve suffered a fractured right thumb in the World Baseball Classic, needed surgery and won't be ready to make his season debut for at least two months, so it shouldn't be a big surprise that he might land on the 60-day IL. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect the 32-year-old second baseman to make his return until around June at the earliest.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (thumb) underwent surgery on Wednesday for his broken thumb. It will be two months before Altuve can even begin baseball activities, so it'll probably be June before he can return to Houston's lineup. Once Altuve is back to playing, he will be one of the top hitters in the game, but this is a big blow to the Astros and those who had drafted Altuve already. Those with drafts still to come will need to adjust accordingly. David Hensley is expected to see an uptick in at-bats while Altuve is sidelined and is worth a late-round flier in deep-league formats.

Houston Astros All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve (thumb) is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks due to a broken right thumb that he suffered in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals on Saturday night while playing for Team Venezuela. Altuve was hit by a pitch while facing Team USA and reliever Daniel Bard on Saturday, and now he's not expected to make his 2023 season debut until late May. The 32-year-old veteran may not return until June, depending on how his thumb heals. In the meantime, David Hensley, Mauricio Dubon and Rylan Bannon will compete for playing time at the keystone with Altuve on the shelf. It's a tough break for anyone that has already drafted Altuve, and for those with upcoming drafts, his fantasy stock obviously takes a big hit this year.

Houston Astros and Team Venezuela's second baseman Jose Altuve (hand) exited Saturday's quarterfinal game against Team USA after taking a pitch to the hand. Altuve is being tested to determine the severity of the injury, but things aren't looking too good based on his reaction. The 32-year-old was one-for-two before being replaced by Luis Rengifo in the fifth inning. In the tournament, Altuve is hitting .214/.450/.286 with a .736 OPS. This is a devastating injury for Team Venezuela, but for the Astros, this is even more impactful. Depending on the severity of the injury, there is a possibility that Altuve will miss some time to begin the season.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve had a big day at the plate on Saturday, going 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored to help his club win Game 2 of the World Series 5-2 against the Philadelphia Phillies. The former MVP started the postseason in an 0-for-25 slump and is batting just .171 with four runs and no RBI but is seven for his last 18. Altuve had a phenomenal season at the dish, slashing .300/.387/.533 with 28 home runs, 57 RBI and 103 runs, and he stole 18 bases, the most since 2017. The 32-year-old is one of the best hitters in the series and should continue proving that going forward.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is still seeking his first postseason hit after going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Thursday night's Game 2 win over the New York Yankees. Altuve has only reached base once, via walk, in 24 postseason plate appearances. He has scored one run. There is no doubt that Altuve will continue to occupy the top slot in the lineup, but he looks lost at the plate at the moment.

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker said that he will sit second baseman Jose Altuve in the regular season finale on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Altuve recorded three hits on Tuesday in what will be his final regular season game in 2022. If the 32-year-old veteran doesn't come off the bench Wednesday, he'll finish another strong campaign with a .300/.387/.533 slash line with a .921 OPS, 28 home runs, 57 RBI, 103 runs scored and 18 stolen bases in 604 plate appearances and 141 games played. The eight-time All-Star will rest up for the start of the American League Division Series, which begins next week.