Astros 2B Altuve exits with right side discomfort

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve exited Wednesday’s game against the Oakland Athletics after the fifth inning with right side discomfort, but neither he nor manager Joe Espada seemed too concerned about it.

Altuve called Espada and the trainer out of the dugout after a swing during his at bat in the fifth. Altuve completed the at bat, striking out on a bunt attempt, but did not take the field in the sixth.

“He got fooled on the pitch, and he kind of felt something,” Espada said. “Out of precaution, he decided to bunt with two strikes just to make sure he was fine. Right now, day-to-day.”

Altuve said his right side only bothered him after that swing.

Altuve missed time last season with an oblique injury, but Espada said he didn’t think the injury Wednesday night had anything to do with that.

“I’m not concerned that it’s an oblique,” Espada said. “Right now it’s just right side discomfort, and we will see how he feels tomorrow."

Altuve said he would wait to see how he feels Thursday.

“I’m not really worried,” Altuve said. “Maybe I just wake up tomorrow, and I’m good to go, so I don’t really want to take any positions tonight because normally, with an injury you wait until the next day and see how you feel.”

In the top of the sixth, he was replaced at second base by Mauricio Dubón while Ben Gamel moved from right to left field and Jason Heyward entered the game in right and took Altuve’s spot in the lineup.

Altuve, who went 0 for 3 before exiting Wednesday, is batting .302 this season with 19 home runs and 62 RBIs. He has 174 hits, which ranked fourth in the majors entering Wednesday.

The Astros got other bad injury news as outfielder Chas McCormick was diagnosed with a small fracture in his right hand, Espada said following Wednesday’s game. Espada did not have a timeline for how long McCormick would be out, but the injury would require a stint on the 10-day injured list.

McCormick suffered the injury colliding against the outfield wall making a catch Tuesday night.

“It sucks,” McCormick said. “It’s really disappointing. I just want to be out here trying to help the team win, especially at the end of the season, going into the playoffs.”

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