Jose Altuve's injury may not be as disastrous as some Astros fans may think

Make no mistake about it, Jose Altuve's injury is not good news for the Houston Astros. Altuve is a leader in the clubhouse, and he brings an energy into the dugout that has been a key reason why the Astros have been successful for so long. When Altuve grabbed his side on a double-play ball on Saturday and left the game early, it was understandable that many Astros fans feared the worst for him and Houston's season.

Altuve is set to have imaging on his side, and we will know his true fate then, but Houston fans may want to brace for a significant absence here. Imaging isn't done unless there is real concern, and even if those tests come back relatively clean, the Astros will be very careful with the aging franchise icon.

While that may seem like an acknowledgment that Altuve is going to be added to the growing list of Astros injury disasters, that isn't necessarily true. In fact, there is a chance that Houston's offense could be better in the short term while Altuve is out.

Jose Altuve's injury at least comes at a time when the Astros may actually be able to cover for his absence

Houston would have been in a lot more trouble if Altuve had been hurt a couple of weeks ago. Jeremy Peña's injury, along with the need to use Brice Matthews in the outfield, would have made covering for Altuve extremely difficult. However, timing is a funny thing, and not only is Peña returning from the IL soon, but centerfielder Jake Meyers is also progressing in his rehab assignment. In theory, Altuve being out would allow Peña to take shortstop back over and either let Matthews play in the infield again or shift the surprisingly productive Braden Shewmake over to second base.

As painful as it is to admit, this might not actually be a bad thing for the Astros. Not only is Altuve arguably the worst defensive option between himself, Shewmake, Peña, and Matthews (and it might not be that close), but he hasn't been hitting. After struggling mightily at the end of April, Altuve has only managed a .572 OPS in May. Whether it is his side, another ailment, or just age, it is clear that there has been something off with Altuve for quite a while.

By putting Altuve on the shelf for a while, the Astros can experiment with some Altuve-less alignments while allowing him to get some rest and evaluate his approach and conditioning away from the spotlight. While the franchise has every reason to want to have Altuve's influence in the long term, the team might be better with him out right now. The defense will almost certainly be better (especially once Meyers is back in center, too) and, in theory, the lineup will get deeper.

That isn't a fun way to look at Altuve's injury, given what he has meant to this team over the years. However, just because it sounds unpleasant/mean doesn't mean it isn't the reality the Astros are dealing with.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow