Astros announced this today Jose Altuve was put on the injured list with a strain on the left thigh muscles. JJ Matijevic had selected his contract to take Altuve’s place on the active roster. To make room on the 40 man, Taylor Jones was transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day IL.
Altuve was ruled out of Monday’s game due to hamstring tears and then sat out yesterday’s game. Although it looked like Altuve would only miss a couple of games, it now looks like the club will give him a stint in the IL to recover. He’s gotten off to a slow start this year, only scoring .167/.268/.250 in his first 41 record appearances.
Matijevic, 26, will make his MLB debut as soon as he gets into a game. Matijevic was selected 75th overall by the Astros in the 2017 draft and was recently drafted 39th overall by Baseball America. Their report praised his bat’s power but noted that he needed to improve his first base defense. He’s gotten off to a terrific start at plate this year, hitting four home runs in his first 11 games and hitting .310/.420/.714. While he’s primarily a first baseman, he’s also seen a lot of time in left field.
Jones was placed on the 10-day IL a few weeks ago with a lower back injury, although it now looks like it’s serious enough to keep him on the shelf until at least June.