Astros' José Altuve Out at Least 2 Months After Surgery for WBC Thumb Injury

Houston Astros second baseman José Altuve will be sidelined for at least two months after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured right thumb, general manager Dana Brown told reporters Wednesday.

Altuve suffered the injury while playing for Venezuela at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

The 32-year-old was drilled in the hand by a 96 mph fastball on a pitch from Colorado Rockies and United States pitcher Daniel Bard in a 9-7 loss on Saturday.

Altuve told reporters after the game that he knew his hand was likely broken immediately after he got hit.

"Obviously, nobody wants to get hurt and start the season on the [injured list]," Altuve said. "I want to control what I can control and that's recover fast and get back to the team."

Altuve had surgery in Houston and will remain in the city while the rest of the team finishes up spring training in Florida. He might not be able to return to the lineup until the end of May.

The loss of Altuve is a significant one for the Astros as he has been a key cog in their lineup both offensively and defensively since making his debut in 2011.

The former Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award winner put together one of the strongest seasons of his career in 2022, slashing .300/.387/.533 with 28 home runs, 57 RBI and 18 stolen bases in 141 games.

He went on to earn his eighth All-Star Game selection and win the sixth Silver slugger award of his 12-year career. Additionally, he finished fifth in American League MVP voting.

With Altuve sidelined, Mauricio Dubón figures to take his spot in the lineup. David Hensley could also see playing time at second base, and star shortstop Jeremy Peña figures to slot into the leadoff spot of the batting order.

Houston opens the regular season on March 30 against the Chicago White Sox and will be aiming to win its third World Series title since 2017.