Day of rest ends Altuve’s streak at 202 games

MINNEAPOLIS — Dating even to before the All-Star break, Astros manager A.J. Hinch has for weeks said he would give Jose Altuve a day off.

Monday was that day as the star second baseman saw his major league-high streak of 202 consecutive games come to an end.

“A.J. told me (Sunday) that I wasn’t going to play today, and I couldn’t say anything,” Altuve said. “I’m really happy he trusts me and he told me before. We are on the same page.”

The only other game Altuve did not start this season was a loss to the Seattle Mariners on May 7, when he had a sore finger. He entered that game as a pinch runner in the seventh inning and played second base for the rest of a 10-inning loss.

“It’s a routine day off for him — or whatever’s routine for a guy who’s played a couple hundred games in a row,” Hinch said before Monday night’s 3-1 loss to the Twins at Target Field. “It’s coming off of a couple of really long series. I’ve been looking for (a day) for him to get a day off. Today’s as good a day as any day. … We’re in the midst of 17 straight games. He’s as superhuman as anybody on our team, but he needs a day.”

With 172 consecutive games played, Angels star Mike Trout now has the longest active streak. edged as much when the team introduced Yulieski in a July 16 news conference at Minute Maid Park.

The Gurriel brothers defected in February and worked out together in Miami before the Astros signed Yulieski to a five-year, $47.5 million deal last month. Lourdes was present at Yulieski’s workout with the Astros in late June.