Surgery is needed for Altuve after he breaks right thumb
Houston Astros star Jose Altuve has a broken right thumb and needs surgery after getting hurt in Venezuela's 9-7 quarterfinal loss to the United States at the World Baseball Classic.
The Astros said Sunday they will announce a prognosis for the second baseman after the operation.
The eight-time All-Star and the 2017 American League MVP fell after he was struck by a 95.9 mph sinker from Colorado Rockies reliever Daniel Bard in the fifth inning Saturday night. Altuve grimaced as he walked off with an athletic trainer.
Altuve's injury occurred three days after New York Mets All-Star closer Edwin Díaz sustained a seasonending knee injury during the postgame celebration of Puerto Rico's 5-2 win over the Dominican Republic. Díaz tore the patellar tendon in his right knee and had surgery on Thursday.
“It appears it could be a while,” Astros manager Dusty Baker told reporters Sunday at spring training in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Altuve returned for a medical examination.
Utilityman Mauricio Dubon, who batted .208 in 83 games last season after being acquired from the Giants in May, is expected to move into the Astros' lineup to replace Altuve.
Rockies, Profar agree on one-year contract
The Rockies have agreed to a $7.75 million, one-year contract with free agent outfielder Jurickson Profar.
Profar can earn an additional $1 million in performance bonuses, getting the full amount for 400 plate appearances.
The former Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres outfielder batted .231 (3 for 13) with a solo homer and RBI for the Netherlands in this year's World Baseball Classic.
He hit .243 with 15 homers and 58 RBIs for San Diego in a career-high 152 games last season and opted out of what would have been the final season of a $21 million, three-year contract with the Padres.
The nine-year big league veteran had back-to-back 20-homer seasons for the Rangers in 2018 and the A's in 2019.
Yoshida could be cleaning up in Boston
Masataka Yoshida's performance while batting fourth for Japan in the World Baseball Classic may have earned him the cleanup spot in the Boston Red Sox lineup.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he is zeroing in on plans for the heart of his lineup with Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez gone.
Yoshida is batting .400 with one homer and 10 RBIs for Japan, which will face Mexico in the semifinals tonight. He only appeared in two games for Boston this spring before heading to the WBC.
Cora said he is planning to bat Rafael Devers second and Justin Turner third.
Yoshida, a two-time Pacific League batting champion and four-time All-Star in Japan, signed a five-year, $105.4 million contract with the Red Sox in December.