Jose Altuve Hits The IL, And Nobody Knows How The Astros Stay Afloat
Holy smokes, you guys, this is getting ridiculous! Just when you think the Houston Astros couldn't possibly be hit with more bad news, their franchise icon, Jose Altuve, is headed to the injured list. This comes as the 'Stros are already trying to navigate a season with a mind-boggling 14 players sidelined. Fourteen! You gotta be kidding me, right? They're kicking off a three-game set against the Minnesota Twins tonight and it feels like they're just trying to keep their heads above water.
Houston's Injury Nightmare Continues With Altuve's Oblique Strain
The news broke Sunday, and it's a strained oblique for the 36-year-old Altuve. He'd been batting .245 with four homers and 12 RBI through 42 games this season, and get this, he's just 72 hits shy of 2,500 for his career. That's a huge blow for an offense already struggling. Astros manager Joe Espada didn't sugarcoat it, saying, "Just not what we wanted to hear. But we find ourselves having to fight through this one here." He mentioned some young players will get opportunities and that shortstop Jeremy Pena, outfielder Jake Meyers, and relief pitcher Nate Pearson *might* return during this Twins series, but losing Altuve just piles on the misery. Their road record speaks volumes too, sitting at a dismal 7-15. They'll hand the ball to right-hander Tatsuya Imai, who's got a rough 1-1 record and a 9.24 ERA, giving up 13 runs on 12 hits in just 12 2/3 innings to start his big-league career. Not exactly a confidence booster.
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On the flip side, the Minnesota Twins are looking to keep some momentum rolling after pulling out a 5-4 win against the Milwaukee Brewers to avoid a series sweep Sunday. That win was powered by Ryan Jeffers, who blasted a solo home run to left-center. Jeffers is on a mission this year, already racking up seven homers in just 36 games after hitting nine in a whopping 119 games last season. He even said his offseason goal was to "do what I did last year but just add some more homers. Be able to pull the ball more." Sounds like he's doing exactly that! The Twins are feeling good at home, holding a 13-13 record there, and they're bringing up rookie left-hander Kendry Rojas to make his first big-league start. Rojas has a tidy 1-0 record with a 2.45 ERA in three relief appearances this season, with eight strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. He's taking the spot of Simeon Woods Richardson, who was moved to the bullpen after going 0-6 with a 7.71 ERA in his first nine starts. Talk about a shake-up!
So, we've got a seriously undermanned Astros squad against a Twins team looking to build on some power and a fresh rookie arm. Can the Astros dig deep and somehow find a way to win with all those guys on the IL, or will the Twins continue to feast on their opponents? It's going to be interesting to see how this series plays out tonight in Minneapolis. And hey, speaking of our boys, tough night for our M's back home, dropping an 8-3 decision to the Padres. Let's hope they can turn things around quickly!
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.