The Houston Astros secured a 7-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night to even the series heading into Wednesday afternoon’s finale.
Ahead of the matchup, Astros manager Joe Espada made a notable change to the lineup involving veteran star Jose Altuve less than 24 hours after he recorded three hits, scored two runs and drove in two more.
Astros Announce Altuve Change
Altuve has consistently batted near the bottom of the order, most often hitting sixth while serving as the team’s second baseman.
For Wednesday’s game, Espada moved Altuve up three spots to the No. 3 spot in the lineup, behind shortstop Jeremy Peña and designated hitter Yordan Alvarez.
Houston is giving third baseman Isaac Paredes the day off after he had occupied the No. 3 spot in the order. Nick Allen will start at third base and bat ninth in Wednesday’s series finale.
Here’s the full lineup:
Astros 8/5
J. Peña SS
Y. Alvarez DH
J. Altuve 2B
D. Varsho CF
T. Trammell RF
C. Walker 1B
L. Wade Jr. LF
Y. Diaz C
N. Allen 3BH. Brown SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 5, 2026
Altuve’s 2026 Season
Altuve is in his 16th season with the Astros, and while he isn’t the same player he once was from a production standpoint, he remains a highly effective contributor.
This season, he’s slashing .241/.389/.693 with 53 runs, 85 hits, 12 home runs and 33 RBIs across 90 games and 352 at-bats.
Astros Right Now
Meanwhile, Houston enters Wednesday’s game in an interesting position in the American League.
The Astros own a 59-56 record, the best mark in the AL West, and hold a 2.5-game lead over the Texas Rangers and a 3.5-game lead over the Seattle Mariners.
If the season ended today, Houston would claim the No. 3 seed in the American League and host the Cleveland Guardians in a best-of-three Wild Card Series.
Houston Astros Announce Jose Altuve Change During Blue Jays Series