Edwin Diaz isn’t the only big-name player to suffer an injury at the World Baseball Classic.
Astros star Jose Altuve, playing for Venezuela, had to exit in the fifth inning of the quarterfinal matchup against the United States on Saturday night at loanDepot park in Miami.
With Venezuela trailing 5-2, but rallying in the fifth, Altuve was hit by a pitch on the right hand by the United States’ reliever Daniel Bard, who pitches for the Rockies.
Altuve was taken out of the game and was replaced by Luis Rengifo. The extent or seriousness of the injury is not yet known.
Bard was replaced by Rays reliever Jason Adam, who couldn’t contain the damage and allowed Venezuela to take a 6-5 lead heading into the sixth inning.
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Altuve’s bad news comes on the heels of Diaz’s injury, which is expected to be season-ending.
An MRI exam on Thursday confirmed the worst for the Mets closer: He fully tore the patellar tendon in his right knee during Team Puerto Rico’s on-field celebration at the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday night. Diaz had surgery on Thursday.
Altuve has won two World Series with the Astros. It would be a big loss for Houston if he’s out for an extended period.
The second baseman, who is entering his 13th season with the Astros, is a career .307 hitter and with 1,935 hits, he should pass the 2,000-hit milestone this season if this injury isn’t too serious.
