Jose Altuve’s struggles could get even worse now

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is struggling big time so far this season, and things may get even worse.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night. That ordinarily wouldn’t be worth noting for one baseball’s best second baseman, but Altuve raised his average to .187 on the season.

Altuve has a three-game hitting streak going, with a hit in five of his last six games. Over that six-game stretch, he has raised his average from .146 to .187 by going 7-for-27.

In the wake of an ugly incident in Oakland in Sunday, suspensions have been handed out. A’s outfielder Ramon Laureano got six games for his role, as he charged the Astros dugout and caused the benches to clear. Astros hitting coach Alex Cintron was accused of instigating the incident with a comment about Laureano’s mother (really?). It appears there was evidence of the comment being made, as Cintron got a 20-game suspension. Both guys were also fined an undisclosed amount.

Jose Altuve is driving the struggle bus

On Altuve’s struggles, from the inspired and expertly savage Twitter handle @AsterickTour.

As part of the Astros sign-stealing scandal, the idea guys wore buzzers to alert them what pitch was coming was out there (and not totally disproved). Altuve was advanced quickly as one of the lead offenders on that front, with some evidence found (however conspiracy-level it might have been on social media). Now he’s hitting .187, and striking out at higher rate then he ever has (20.5 percent).

Altuve’s struggles thus far could be a coincidence, chalked up to a small sample and/or the uniqueness of a truncated season with odd circumstances. It’s possible he’ll get some positive correction, with a better run going lately. But being without his hitting coach is not ideal, and a sub-Mendoza line batting average isn’t doing him any favors.