Altuve set to rejoin Astros on Tuesday

Jose Altuve was activated from the 10-day disabled list and rejoined the Houston Astros for their game against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, the Astros announced.

In corresponding moves, the team selected the contract of left-hander Framber Valdez and optioned outfielder Kyle Tucker and lefty Cionel Pérez to Triple-A Fresno.

Altuve, the reigning American League MVP, has been sidelined since July 26 with right knee soreness. The star second baseman played a rehab game with Fresno on Sunday, going 1-for-3.

"Unless something happens on the field today, that's the best-case scenario for us," Astros manager A.J. Hinch told reporters Monday of plans to activate Altuve. "He had a successful day of building some confidence and getting himself active where he could test himself. He did just about everything. He got a hit, he got on the bases, he made a hard turn, he sprinted from second base on a bloop single -- reaction plays that we can't really simulate in early work. It takes a game competition to do that. Mission accomplished."

The Astros have gone 8-13 since Altuve was injured, losing their grip on sole possession of first place in the American League West in the process. The Oakland Athletics have tied them atop the division at 75-50.

Altuve, 28, is hitting .329 with nine home runs, 46 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases this season. The three-time AL batting champion was named an All-Star for the fifth consecutive year last month.

The DL stint was the first of Altuve's eight-year major league career.

"He was in unchartered territory," Hinch said. "He didn't know how to feel or what to think and he was very nervous and rightfully so. Now that he's been able to build back a little confidence and get some soreness out and go play a game and feel good about his change of direction on defense and offense, he's a lot more confident that things are OK."

Tucker, 21, is still considered a prized prospect by the organization, despite being sent down to the minors. In his first 20 major league games this season, Tucker struggled, hitting just .154 (8-for-52) with no homers and three RBIs.

Valdez, 24, will make his big league debut in his first appearance. He has made 14 appearances (all starts) this season at Triple-A and Double-A Corpus Christi, combining to go 6-5 with a 4.11 ERA. He has struck out an eye-popping 129 batters in just 103 innings.

Perez, 22, appeared in six games with the Astros in 2018, all out of the bullpen. In seven innings pitched, he has allowed three runs and four hits, striking out seven while walking five.

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