<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-jose-altuve-dishes-alex-bregman-uncertain-future-playoff-exit');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros’ Jose Altuve dishes on Alex Bregman’s uncertain future after playoff exit');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jose-Altuve-dishes-on-Alex-Bregmans-uncertain-future-after-playoff-exit.jpg"></figure><h1>Astros’ Jose Altuve dishes on Alex Bregman’s uncertain future after playoff exit</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-02T19:56:58-07:00">October 2nd, 7:56pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-02T20:30:14-07:00">October 2nd, 8:30pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After getting swept in two games by the Detroit Tigers in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/tigers-news-aj-hinch-perfect-response-beating-astros-playoffs">AL Wild Card, the Houston Astros</a> could experience a major shakeup. Third baseman <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-alex-bregman-shares-emotional-message-amid-departure-rumors">Alex Bregman is a pending free agent</a>, and Jose Altuve is nervous about it.</p><p>Altuve <a href="https://x.com/chandler_rome/status/1841607307173790073?s=46&amp;t=YAm5wwmcnC6J27chz4RDIQ" rel="noopener">sounded off about</a> Bregman’s future, via The Athletic’s Chandler Rome.</p><p>“In my mind, there is not a chance this is his last game,” the 34-year-old said. “He gave a lot to this organization so it’s time for us as an organization to pay him back and make him stay here.”</p><p>Altuve also added that he’ll repeat that to Astros owner Jim Crane.</p><p>Bregman weighed in on the <a href="https://x.com/Chron_MattYoung/status/1841602495065268271" rel="noopener">possibility of staying</a> in Houston, via The Houston Chronicle’s Matt Young.</p><p>“I hope so, but I’ll let [agent] Scott (Boras) and the team handle that,” the two-time All-Star said.</p><p>Bregman slashed .260/.315/.453 with 26 homers and 75 RBI this season. The 30-year has been a model of consistency over his nine seasons with the team, and his departure would signify a new era for it.</p><p>What will Bregman do?</p><h2><b>Astros are confident they can retain Alex Bregman</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Alex-Bregman.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Houston general manager Dana Brown is <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41577256/altuve-urges-astros-pay-bregman-back-make-stay" rel="noopener">optimistic about the upcoming contract negotiations</a>, via ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez.</p><p>“I think it’ll work out,” Brown said. “When you get down to it, I think he wants to stay here. I think we want him to stay here. And it’s just a matter of coming up with some type of an agreement.”</p><p>However, the Astros will have to pay a price. Boras is a known stickler, so Bregman will probably go to the highest bigger.</p><p>Bregman made $30.5 million in 2024, and with another quality season in the books, he’s in a position to ask for another hefty amount of cash. However, Houston must weigh whether it would rather pinch pennies or maintain its championship nucleus.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros’ Jose Altuve dishes on Alex Bregman’s uncertain future after playoff exit

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-jose-altuve-alex-bregman-re-signing');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros’ Jose Altuve begs for Alex Bregman re-signing');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/0Jose-Altuve-begs-for-Alex-Bregman-re-signing0.jpg"></figure><h1>Astros’ Jose Altuve begs for Alex Bregman re-signing</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-19T08:08:56-07:00">September 19th, 8:08am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-19T08:08:56-07:00">September 19th, 8:08am</time><address><a>Andrew Meyers</a>Andrew Meyers is an avid sports fan with a fondness for Philadelphia teams that rarely love him back. He has two degrees from Quinnipiac University, including a master's in sports journalism. Outside of ClutchPoints, Meyers does play-by-play broadcasting for various colleges in the northeast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros built their dynasty around a core of players who dug them out of a lengthy rebuild. Namely, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman have been integral to Houston’s success over the past decade. Both are multi-time All-Stars who will go down as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-jose-altuve-reacts-to-passing-craig-biggio-for-houston-franchise-record">all-time Astros</a>.</p><p>While Altuve is set to be an Astro for life, Bregman’s return to the organization in 2025 remains in doubt. The third baseman will be a free agent after the season and is likely to demand top dollar. Several teams will be interested in Bregman, leaving the Astros with competition for their franchise icon.</p><p>Altuve issued a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5778279/2024/09/19/alex-bregman-astros-homestand-contract-negotiations/?source=emp_shared_article" rel="noopener">resounding statement</a> about Bregman’s future with the team. While Altuve is the face of the franchise, Bregman is just as important in his eyes.</p><p>“I don’t see any chances of him leaving,” Altuve said, The Athletic. “That might be just me. I really think that, at the end of the season, our front office people, GM and ownership (are) going to get a deal done for him. I don’t think — I’m sure — that we are not only a better team with him, but we are a better organization with him. We really need to make it happen.”</p><p>Altuve admitted that he’s not confident it will happen. That doesn’t mean he wants to see Bregman in another uniform.</p><p>“Maybe it’s just that I don’t want to see it happen, so I don’t think about it,” Altuve said.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-jose-altuves-heartfelt-admission-signing-new-extension-houston">Altuve signed a five-year</a>, $125 million contract extension in February. Bregman will probably get more money than that.</p><h2><b>Astros eye another postseason run with Bregman decision looming</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Astros-Altuve-Bregman.jpg"><figcaption>Thomas Shea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Alex Bregman decision is a huge one for the future of the player and the Astros franchise. Before that is settled, Houston would like to think Bregman can be a major reason why they win another World Series.</p><p>At the very least an eighth consecutive trip to the ALCS would be nice. It likely doesn’t matter how far the Astros go in the postseason, it won’t persuade Bregman either way. Whether he’s already made up his mind about where he wants to play is a mystery. Astros fans would like to think they have the upper hand against other teams when it comes to signing Bregman.</p><p>It helps that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-jose-altuve-joe-espada-ejections">Jose Altuve is passionate</a> and forthright about wanting the Astros to re-sign Bregman. Letting down the franchise’s best active player and an all-time great might not go over well with Altuve, the fans, or his Houston teammates.</p><p>“I don’t have control, but if I could, I would just pay Breggy whatever he wants,” Altuve said. “His professionalism, his desire to win and his desire to get better at the stage he is — he’s a superstar — that’s really hard to find. You don’t find a lot of guys trying to get better like he does every single year, every single day. We really need to reward guys like him.”</p><p>If Jose Altuve were the owner, Alex Bregman would have gotten paid already. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-alex-bregman-free-agency-second-base-scott-boras">Bregman’s free agency</a> will be one of the many sagas to follow during the offseason. Lots of Houston residents will be constantly checking their phones this winter waiting to see where Bregman lands.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros’ Jose Altuve begs for Alex Bregman re-signing

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-jose-altuve-joe-espada-ejections');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros’ Jose Altuve, Joe Espada call out umps after wild ejections');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Astros-news-Joe-Epsada-Jose-Altuve-defend-pitch-that-led-to-Anthony-Santander-grand-slam.jpg"></figure><h1>Astros’ Jose Altuve, Joe Espada call out umps after wild ejections</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-18T06:37:45-07:00">September 18th, 6:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-18T06:37:45-07:00">September 18th, 6:37am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Houston Astros star Jose Altuve was ejected from Tuesday night’s game against the San Diego Padres in a bizarre manner. The Astros ultimately earned a 4-3 victory in extra innings, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-jose-altuve-hilariously-ejected-after-removing-sock">Altuve was ejected</a> in the 9th inning after removing both his cleat and sock to show the umpire that what ended up being a ground out was actually a foul ball. The umpire was not having it and ended up ejecting Altuve, and later Astros manager Joe Espada for arguing, from the game.</p><p>Video via Space City Home Network:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jose Altuve has been ejected &amp; the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Astros?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Astros</a> are headed to extra innings in San Diego<a href="https://twitter.com/astros?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@astros</a> on SCHN <a href="https://t.co/ll4GQ2yXsG">pic.twitter.com/ll4GQ2yXsG</a></p><p>— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceCityHN/status/1836261662371795191?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>So what did Altuve <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41309473/astros-jose-altuve-ejected-removing-cleat-sock-win-vs-padres" rel="noopener">have to say after the game</a>?</p><p>“Sometimes you get hit somewhere in the hand and you take your batting glove [off] to show you got hit,” Altuve said, via ESPN. “I was expecting to do the same thing.”</p><p>The Astros second baseman added that something like that cannot happen and the umpires need to “make the right call.”</p><h2><b>Astros still earn the victory</b></h2><p>It would have been an extremely frustrating night for the Astros had they lost the game. The ball did appear to land off his foot before changing direction on the groundout. Nevertheless, Altuve was ejected.</p><p>Astros manager Joe Espada was upset after the call. He also shared his brutally honest thoughts on the situation after the game, via ESPN.</p><p>“It’s a foul ball. You have to see the ball once he hits the foot, the flight of the ball,” Espada said. “I don’t get it. I don’t understand. That’s twice this year. I have a lot of respect for the umpires. They work hard. But there are four out there. You have to be able to see it. They missed that call.”</p><p>Houston now holds a comfortable five-game lead in the American League West. It has been an impressive turnaround for the Astros following a slow start to the ’24 campaign. They project to be a serious contender once again.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-bounce-back-mlb-playoffs-jose-altuve">Astros are preparing for the playoffs</a>. Houston will have an opportunity to win their third World Series since 2017. At the moment, though, the team will place its focus on ending the regular season strong.</p><p>The Astros and Padres will go head-to-head once again at 6:40 PM EST.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros’ Jose Altuve, Joe Espada call out umps after wild ejections

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-jose-altuve-hilariously-ejected-after-removing-sock');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros’ Jose Altuve gets hilariously ejected after removing his sock');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Astros-news-Jose-Altuve-gets-hilariously-ejected-after-removing-his-sock.jpg"></figure><h1>Astros’ Jose Altuve gets hilariously ejected after removing his sock</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-18T00:08:49-07:00">September 18th, 12:08am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-18T00:17:26-07:00">September 18th, 12:17am</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros escaped with a close win over the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. The game featured an unusual ejection as Jose Altuve was tossed in the top of the ninth. He was replaced by Grae Kessinger who became the Astros automatic runner on second to start the 10th inning. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-kyle-tucker-important-injury-update">Kyle Tucker recently made his long-awaited return from the injured list</a> and played the hero in Tuesday’s contest, coming through with an RBI single to score the go-ahead run that proved to be the difference.</p><p>Altuve’s ejection was a sight to behold. Facing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-news-robert-suarez-jumps-ryan-helsley-nl-reliever-of-year-favorite">NL Reliever of the Year frontrunner Robert Suarez</a> with one on and two out in the top of the ninth inning of a 3-3 game, Altuve hacked at a 100 mph fastball that dribbled down to third base for the easy inning-ending putout. But the ball appeared to have made contact with Altuve before going into fair territory. And when the camera cut back to the former AL MVP, it was clear he was flabbergasted, insisting the ball was <a href="https://x.com/JomboyMedia/status/1836260363395821778" rel="noopener">fouled off his foot</a>, per Jomboy Media on X.</p><h2><b>The Astros’ Jose Altuve offers proof that he fouled the ball off his foot</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Jose-Altuve.jpg"><figcaption>Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Astros manager Joe Espada came out to argue the call but left Altuve to linger. The nine-time All-Star then brazenly took off his cleat and his sock and emphatically pointed to his bare foot to show umpire Brennan Miller the mark the foul ball left. Altuve was immediately ejected.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jose Altuve took off his sock and cleat to show the ump that he fouled this ball off his foot</p><p>He was promptly ejected  <a href="https://t.co/wtGGsdWdyL">pic.twitter.com/wtGGsdWdyL</a></p><p>— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/JomboyMedia/status/1836260363395821778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Despite losing their second baseman, the Astros held on to get the win. Tucker returned to Houston’s lineup on September 6, having spent over three months on the IL after fouling a ball off his right leg. Reliever Hector Neris made things interesting by loading the bases in the bottom of the 10th inning but ultimately closed things out for his 18th save of the season.</p><p>The Astros have a five-game lead over the second-place Seattle Mariners in the American League West. Houston has gone 32-23 since returning from the All-Star break, good for the seventh best record in baseball during that stretch. The team comes in at <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/2024-mlb-power-rankings-mets-mlb-playoffs">number 7 in the MLB Power rankings</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros’ Jose Altuve gets hilariously ejected after removing his sock

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-jose-altuve-out-lineup-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jose Altuve out of Astros lineup, but there’s a catch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/0Jose-Altuve-out-of-Houston-lineup-but-theres-a-catch0.jpg"></figure><h1>Jose Altuve out of Astros lineup, but there’s a catch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-12T11:40:48-07:00">September 12th, 11:40am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-12T11:40:48-07:00">September 12th, 11:40am</time><address><a>Andrew Meyers</a>Andrew Meyers is an avid sports fan with a fondness for Philadelphia teams that rarely love him back. He has two degrees from Quinnipiac University, including a master's in sports journalism. Outside of ClutchPoints, Meyers does play-by-play broadcasting for various colleges in the northeast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros will try to break a three-game slide Thursday. They’ll do so without Jose Altuve. Houston’s All-Star second baseman was held out of the lineup less than 24 hours after being removed from Wednesday’s game in the fifth inning due to right-side discomfort.</p><p>Altuve was looked at by a trainer and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-joe-espada-gets-brutally-honest-about-losing-pitchers-stuff-vs-reds">Astros manager Joe Espada</a> after taking a swing. He remained in the game for one more pitch, bunting a ball foul with two strikes for an out. He was pulled the next inning.</p><p>Altuve has been labeled <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/jose-altuve-exits-loss-early-with-right-side-discomfort" rel="noopener">day-to-day</a> and he believes he’ll avoid missing significant time.</p><p>“I’m not really worried,” Altuve said, per MLB.com. “Maybe I just wake up tomorrow and I’m good to go. I don’t really want to make any decisions tonight because normally with an injury, you wait until the next day and see how you feel.”</p><p>He wasn’t good to go on Thursday. The Astros will try to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Oakland A’s without arguably their best hitter. Altuve is hitting .357 across his last 15 games.</p><p>Espada echoed Altuve’s assessment and offered an <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/astros-injuries-and-roster-moves" rel="noopener">encouraging update</a> Thursday. He and the Astros seem to have dodged a bullet.</p><p>“He’s doing better,” Espada said. “I thought he was going to come in and be more sore, especially after the way it looked yesterday. He’s day to day. He’s in the weight room throwing the med ball around trying to get the area loose. Hopefully, it’s something that he won’t miss a lot of time.”</p><h2><b>Astros losing steam in September</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Jose-Altuve-Astros.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Astros were one of the hottest teams in the league over the past few months. They’ve hit a few bumps in the road in September as they try to secure another AL West title. There’s no guarantee they’ll get back on track before October.</p><p>Houston is 3-6 to begin the month, a stretch that includes a three-game sweep by the Cincinnati Reds. Another sweep to a losing team would dismiss any momentum the Astros may have at the moment.</p><p>The Astros are still in the driver’s seat for their playoff destiny but shouldn’t mess with the cushion they have. A 3 1/2-game lead with five series left to play is not insurmountable.</p><p>Health has been an issue for Houston lately and the Astros were finally starting to get bodies back. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-kyle-tucker-important-injury-update">Kyle Tucker recently returned</a> following a three-month absence only for Chas McCormick to hit the shelf with a hand fracture.</p><p>Even if beaten up the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-bounce-back-mlb-playoffs-jose-altuve">Astros will expect to win</a> in the playoffs. Houston has a reputation to uphold and won’t let a few bumps and bruises get in the way of maintaining the level of success the franchise has achieved. Although not among the obvious favorites, the Astros shouldn’t be slept on this October.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.143	0	1	0.268	0

2024 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.143	0	1	0.268	0

Jose Altuve

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Astros’ Jose Altuve gets hilariously ejected after removing his sock

Jose Altuve out of Astros lineup, but there’s a catch

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