Jose Altuve leaves game after getting hit by 94-mph pitch

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 8th 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 immediately called for medical assistance once he got back on his feet. The 8-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 8th inning to extend their lead to 10-5.

Altuve was 2-of-4 with an RBI before leaving the contest. He also made a highlight defensive play with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 2nd, robbing former Astros shortstop Carlos Correa of a potential bloop hit.

The Twins gave the Astros a scare late, cutting the lead to 13-12 via a Carlos Correa grand slam in the bottom of the 9th inning. But Manuel Margot struck out for the game’s final out one batter later.

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 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases.

The post Jose Altuve leaves game after getting hit by 94-mph pitch appeared first on Larry Brown Sports .