Jose Altuve makes big request of Astros

Jose Altuve continues to shake up the Etch-A-Sketch this season.

The Houston Astros star Altuve was notably absent from his longtime leadoff spot during Monday’s game against the Detroit Tigers. Teammate Jeremy Pena slid into the leadoff role for Houston instead while Altuve moved down to the No. 2 spot.

Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported that the move came at Altuve’s request. Before Monday’s game, Altuve asked to be removed from the leadoff spot given his struggles of late.

“My at-bats haven’t been really good or the way I want it lately,” Altuve was quoted as saying. “Maybe hitting with him on base or whoever on base will help me get to the point I want to. I’ve hit second before. When [George] Springer was here, I hit second for a lot of years.”

The former AL MVP Altuve, 34, has largely been a staple in Houston’s leadoff spot since the beginning of his MLB career in 2011. He has made nine All-Star teams and won three AL batting titles over the years, in part due to his ability to make noise from the very first at-bat of the game for his team. Rome also notes that Altuve has not hit anywhere other than the leadoff spot since June 2023.

But Altuve entered Monday’s game in a prolonged slump at the plate with just nine hits in his last 50 at-bats. Houston has gone a mediocre 7-6 over that stretch as well, so Altuve is ready to try something new.

Altuve has also changed things up this year by moving away from his longtime spot at second base and into left field. The results there have been uneven at best, but Altuve will be hoping for some better luck with his change of scenery in the Astros’ batting order.