Jose Altuve told Dusty Baker to move him down in lineup

Jose Altuve asked to be bumped down in the lineup.

The Houston Astros, fresh off being confirmed as cheaters who steal signs, have struggled to recapture the dominance they showed over the last decade. A big reason why is the subpar performance of former MVP Jose Altuve. Despite leading the AL in hits in four straight seasons, all of which saw him top 200 hits, and winning three batting titles, Altuve is below the Mendoza Line in 2020, hitting just .181 with three home runs. 

Altuve, who had been placed near the top of the lineup regularly by manager Dusty Baker, informed Baker that he wanted to be dropped to seventh in the order, claiming other players were swinging the bat better. Baker obliged, hitting him seventh during last night’s game against the Seattle Mariners.

Jose Altuve is struggling to hit like he usually does.

Altuve has just five hits in his last 31 at-bats, as the shortened, unusual 2020 season combined with the lack of in-game video hitters are allowed to use have made things tough for him and teammates like George Springer and Alex Bregman.

The Astros, once again thought of as the clear favorites in the AL West, stand at just 10-10 with one-third of the shortened season in the books, as they trail the red-hot Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers in their own division. If the Astros want to defend their championship in the postseason, Altuve needs to snap out of whatever funk he’s in. Maybe a demotion will do the job.

A star player going through a slump is nothing to be shocked about. However, Altuve’s performance dropping off so suddenly the season after he and his teammates were outed as cheaters has been everything Astros haters could’ve hoped for. For Baker’s sake, Altuve needs to wake up and help right the ship for an Astros team that is currently running on fumes.