Houston star Jose Altuve broke his right thumb in Team Venezuela’s World Baseball Classic game on Saturday and will require surgery, Astros general manager Dana Brown announced Sunday.
There is no timetable for his return, according to Brown. The Astros will announce the prognosis after the surgery, which will happen in the coming days.
Altuve left the loss to Team USA in the fifth inning after being drilled by a 96 mph fastball by Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Daniel Bard.
“It seems like a long time,” Astros manager Dusty Baker told reporters Sunday at spring training in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Altuve returned for a medical.
It was the second significant injury suffered by an All-Star player in WBC pool play in Miami, then New York Mets nearer Edwin Diaz suffered a torn patellar tendon while celebrating Puerto Rico’s win over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday. He is expected to miss the entire 2023 season.
Altuve, 32, is coming off another stellar season for the reigning champion Astros, hitting .300 with a .921 OPS in 2022.
Utilityman Mauricio Dubonwho hit .208 last season, is expected to move into the Astros lineup to replace Altuve.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.