Houston Astros Announce Jose Altuve News on Sunday

The Houston Astros will try to salvage their weekend series against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday after dropping the first two games at Daikin Park.

Atlanta took Saturday’s contest 6-3, leaving Houston at 77-78 and one game behind the Texas Rangers in the American League West.

Jose Altuve collected three hits while starting at second base in the loss. He finished 3-for-4 without an RBI.

The Astros announced their Sunday lineup with a change for the veteran. Altuve will bat fourth and serve as the designated hitter.

The move comes as Houston tries to generate more offense in the series finale. The club has seven games remaining after Sunday.

Altuve is hitting .247 with a .306 on-base percentage and .395 slugging percentage this season. He has 15 home runs and 44 RBI.

Those numbers sit well below his career marks of .300/.357/.462. The 36-year-old is in his 16th season, all with Houston.

He has produced against Atlanta in his career. Altuve owns a .364 average in 22 games versus the Braves.

Saturday’s three-hit game was one of his better recent showings. He has mixed results through September.

The Astros fell out of first place with the Saturday defeat. They had held or shared the AL West lead for much of the second half.

Texas improved to 78-77 with a win Saturday. Houston still holds the season-series tiebreaker over the Rangers.

First baseman Christian Walker said after Saturday’s loss that the team cannot dwell on the standings.

“It’s not about feeling sorry for yourself or being pissed off,” Walker said.

Houston has lost nine of its last 13 games. The slump has tightened the division race with little time left.

Right-hander Hunter Brown is scheduled to start Sunday against Atlanta left-hander Martín Pérez. Brown is 6-3 with a 3.43 ERA.

Pérez is 9-9 with a 3.07 ERA. The Braves have already clinched a playoff berth.

Manager Joe Espada has used Altuve at second base for most of the year. Occasional DH days have been part of managing the veteran’s workload.

Altuve started at second and hit fourth Saturday. The shift to DH Sunday keeps his bat in the middle of the order while giving him a rest in the field.

Yordan Alvarez has typically occupied the DH spot. The lineup change could allow another player more defensive time or rest a regular.

The Astros scored three runs Saturday and two on Friday. Timely hitting has been scarce during the recent skid.

Isaac Paredes homered in Saturday’s game. Yainer Diaz added an RBI double.

Ronald Acuña Jr. delivered a grand slam for Atlanta in the seventh inning Saturday. That blast provided the decisive runs.

Houston hosts its final regular-season home game Sunday before a road trip to Seattle and Oakland. The remaining schedule includes several games against teams still in contention.

Altuve’s recent contact has been encouraging even if extra-base hits have been limited. He recorded six doubles in September entering Sunday.

The club needs wins to stay in the wild-card conversation as well as the division race. Several teams sit close in the American League standings.

Espada has emphasized stacking victories in the final week. The Astros no longer control their own path after falling a game back.

Sunday’s first pitch is set for early afternoon local time. A win would keep Houston within striking distance heading into the final stretch.

The Braves have won two straight in the series and have not lost a regular-season game at Daikin Park since 2017.

Altuve remains a central figure in Houston’s lineup even in a down statistical year. His presence in the four-hole Sunday reflects that status.

The Astros will look for him and the rest of the order to produce against Pérez. Avoiding a sweep is the immediate goal.