SUGAR LAND (SportsRadio 610)- Jose Altuve took the next step in his recovery from a fractured thumb when he played the first game of a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday night.
"Felt really good," Altuve said. "A little better than what I thought, timing a little off, but I guess that's normal."
Altuve played second base for seven innings on Friday against the El Paso Chihuahuas in his first game since March 18, finishing hitless in four at bats. Three of the balls he put in play had an exit velocity of over 95 MPH, including a 102.2 MPH line drive to center field that was caught by David Dahl 389 feet away from home plate in his first at bat.
"I think the first ball, I hit it pretty good, then the second one, not good, third was just ok, the fourth one was good again. Sometimes I was too early, sometimes I swing and missed, but first day in a few months, so I'm really happy where I am right now."
Altuve said he'll play again for the Space Cowboys on Saturday night, though he wasn't sure if he'd play second base again, and he doesn't have a timetable for when he'll make his season debut with the Astros, but less than two months removed from surgery, the Astros second baseman is just happy to be playing again.
"A little tired, that's normal, I just played seven innings. Put the ball in play a lot, so I had to run. It was a good game for me. Got a couple of ground balls. It was a great game for me to come back after a few months with not seeing the baseball."
