That's right, Altuve will be starting in left field for the first time in his professional league career during Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Altuve originally embraced the idea of moving to left field had the Astros brought back longtime teammate and third baseman Alex Bregman (30), which would've left the infield crowded on who plays where.
But even after Bregman ultimately decided to sign with the Boston Red Sox, Altuve is still full-speed ahead on his possible new role for the upcoming season.
Astros manager Joe Espada (49) is even more excited.
“He’s actually been pretty good out there,” said Espada. “One thing, it’s practice and we can control the environment and the volume, but once the game starts he’ll be tested and we’ll get a better read of where he’s at. Right now, the attitude is exactly what we’re expecting and the work has been pretty good.”
Altuve has been taking reps in left field all of February leading up to his first game on Friday at the position.
Despite winning a Gold Glove at second base in 2015, Altuve's defence stats have dipped worse and worse every year following it, putting up a minus nine outs above average last season - second worst among second basemen.
So it'll be interesting to see how much of Altuve will be in left field during the regular season.