Desgarrador: José Atulè, jugador de los Astros de Houston, se fue

Altuve is skipping this year’s game, marking his third absence, and second as an elected starter, since Major League Baseball penalized the Houston Astros for stealing signs illegally in 2017 and ‘18. Each time Altuve backed out because of a physical concern. Other players, from Derek Jeter in 2011 to Rafael Devers this year, have cited similar reasons for missing occasional All-Star Games. But the pattern with Altuve raises the question of whether he has developed an aversion to the attention surrounding the event, another night of getting booed, on a national stage, no less.

The whole thing seems odd. And maybe a little sad.

Altuve is not making up his ailments. This time, he’s dealing with a sore left hand caused by a 96-mph fastball that hit him on July 5. He showed his hand to reporters last week, and it was still swollen and bruised. But as was the case in 2021 and ‘22, when he also missed the All-Star Game, Altuve did not go on the injured list. He kept playing, and on Friday night, he hit a pivotal three-run homer against the Rangers.

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