Astros' eight-time All-Star exits after getting hit by pitch

Jose Altuve. Gerry Angus-USA TODAY Sports

Astros' eight-time All-Star leaves game after getting hit by 94-mph pitch

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Renzo Pocholo Salao | Last updated Jul 5, 2024 11:17 PM ET

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve was hit by a pitch and taken off the field early during his team’s Friday contest against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn.

With the Astros leading 7-5, Altuve led off the top of the eighth inning against Twins reliever Josh Winder. The former AL MVP took a 94-mph sinker directly to his left hand and fell to the ground.

Altuve comes out of the game after being hit by a pitch on the hand pic.twitter.com/SlTeOsohNh

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 6, 2024

Altuve immediately called for medical assistance once he got back on his feet. The eight-time All-Star was taken out of the game and replaced by pinch runner Mauricio Dubon.

The Astros followed Altuve’s hit-by-pitch with three consecutive singles. Houston tacked on a total of three runs in the eighth inning to extend its lead to 10-5.

Altuve was 2-of-4 with an RBI before leaving the contest.

In his 14th season, Altuve is in the midst of another strong campaign in 2024. He entered Friday’s matchup sporting a .308 batting average with 13 home runs, 39 RBI and 13 stolen bases.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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