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Jose Altuve 2023 MLB Player Outlook: Broken Thumb Sidelines Altuve Until June
2 years agoFrom 2018-2020, Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve missed 75 games due to injury. While he was still a very productive hitter save for the shortened 2020 season in that stretch, a return to health vaulted him back into elite status after a dominant 2022 campaign. Altuve brought both power and speed to the table with 28 home runs, a .233 ISO, and 18 stolen bases last season. His 164 wRC+ was the second-best mark of his 12-year big league career while he hit .300 for the first time since the 2018 campaign. However, it wasn't all rosy for the 32-year-old, as he ranked in the league's fifth percentile in hard-hit rate, sixth in average exit velocity, and right around league average at 49th in barrel rate. Nonetheless, Altuve was trending at a 44 ADP as a result of his 2022 success but he suffered a broken thumb in the World Baseball Classic that required surgery and will be fortunate to return before June. Altuve's ADP has dropped all the way to 142 since suffering the injury on March 19 but remains an obvious draft-and-stash option on draft day.
