Astros 'Have To Be Overly Cautious' With Jose Altuve's Late Season Injury

Brian Bogusevic, former Astros outfielder and Space City Home Network analyst, joins Next Up as the Astros attempt to avoid the series sweep by the Oakland Athletics.

During Wednesday's 5-4 defeat, the Astros third straight loss, second baseman Jose Altuve exited the game with right side discomfort. While Altuve did not seem concerned in his postgame comments, the Astros "have to be overly cautious" when dealing with an injury late into the season, Bogusevic said.

Hunter Brown had a minor setback against the Athletics, allowing five runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out seven over five innings. Brown had not allowed more than two runs in any of his previous six starts.

However, as the Astros hold a 3.5-game lead in the AL West, the postseason pitching rotation will be decided over the coming weeks. "Everything starts with Framber [Valdez] and Hunter."

With Yusei Kikuchi winning every start as a member of the Astros, veteran Justin Verlander's playoff spot has been put into question. "The swing and miss totals haven't been there," Bogusevic said. "It's just not a proper version of what we're used to seeing from Justin Verlander."