2 min read • March 20, 2023
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The World Baseball Classic claimed another victim on Saturday night when a Daniel Bard fastball ran in on the hands of Venezuela star Jose Altuve.
The two-time World Series champion second baseman suffered a broken right thumb when he was hit by the pitch and is reportedly expected to miss at least two months.
By video, the fracture is to the tip of Altuve’s thumb, not the base. A fracture to the base of his thumb would have been the worst case scenario, knocking him out at least three months.
Altuve will undergo surgery in the coming days and will likely be cleared to throw in two months. That could have him back in late May at the earliest and early June at the latest.
The 32-year-old has been the picture of durability at second base, playing in 140 or more games in 8 of his 12 seasons.
Houston will have to turn to Mauricio Dubon to fill the void at second base until Altuve is back.
Lefty slugger Yordan Alvarez has battled lingering hand soreness and has yet to see action in spring training. He has reportedly progressed to hitting on the field during practice, but at this point it would be surprising if he can be fully effective at the start of the season.
Starter Lance McCullers will likely miss his first few starts of the season with a forearm strain he suffered during a bullpen session in mid-February.
The Astros are the favorites to repeat as World Series champions at +600, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Their win total over/under is 95.5.
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Jose Altuve leaves the game after being hit in the hand by a pitch.
