Baker on earlier than expected return of Altuve: 'He hasn't had a bunch of hits, but he feels good'

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve’s much-awaited return – once thought to occur in the middle of the summer – could happen any day now, with the team’s upcoming home series against the lowly Oakland Athletics the purported first instance the 33-year-old face of the franchise could see the field.

As of press time, Altuve, who sustained an injury while playing for Team Venezuela during the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March, had just completed his rehabilitation stint with the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Astros’ Double-A affiliate.

Manager Dusty Baker said in a report on the incumbent World Series champions’ website that the star infielder’s health is taking a positive turn though he appeared rusty at the plate.

"He hasn't had a bunch of hits, but he feels good," Baker said. “He knows his timing is off a little bit, so he wants to be wide open when he gets here and have everything be back to normal."

Citing a representative in the Hooks’ media relations and broadcasting department, Corpus Christi NBC affiliate KRIS reported that Altuve returned to Houston following a game on Wednesday.

He went 1-for-9 at bat in two games with the Hooks, his short stint creating a packed house at picturesque Whataburger Field.

Prior to that, he saw time in a Sugar Land Space Cowboys uniform. The Space Cowboys are the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate.

Altuve’s absence thrust Infielder Mauricio Dubón into the starting lineup. 

Initially scrutinized as to whether he could fill such big shoes, Dubón went on to craft a streak of 20 games with a hit, giving the Astros a much-needed jolt on offense, per a report from Houston Daily. 

It’s likely the 28-year-old San Pedro Sula, Honduras native will relinquish his place in the batting order to Altuve, but the former isn’t upset. 

“I knew coming in that you can’t replace Jose Altuve,” Dubón told The Athletic. “No matter what you do, you can’t replace a future Hall of Famer. I think that’s why I’m OK with it.” 

Houston, which completed its second sweep of the season by taking all three matchups against the Chicago Cubs, looks to add to its four-game winning streak while hosting the Athletics on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.