The nine-time All-Star has played in 2,018 big-league games. Kenneth Richmond / Getty ImagesJune 5, 2026 4:05 pm EDT Updated HOUSTON — Dusty Baker often declared him a medical marvel. Three years later, that is difficult to dispute. Jose Altuve’s entire baseball career is built on bucking convention, even when he isn’t playing at all.Twenty days after sustaining a Grade 2 strain of his left oblique, Altuve returned to the Houston Astros’ starting lineup on Friday night, completing a comeback few presumed could proceed at this pace.“He is a quick healer,” manager Joe Espada said last week.This quick still surprised many within the Astros’ organization. In general, Grade 2 oblique strains have at least a four-to six-week recovery timeframe. And Altuve did not even run down the first-base line after injuring himself on a swing during a May 16 game against the Texas Rangers. After that game, he moved gingerly around the clubhouse and appeared in apparent discomfort.Ten days later, Altuve had already resumed swinging a bat at the team’s spring training complex in West Palm Beach, Fla. That precipitated this rapid process.Altuve is among a long list of superstar players who prefer not to participate in minor-league rehab assignments. In lieu of one, Altuve faced live pitching on both Wednesday and Thursday at Daikin Park, taking swings against two minor-league pitchers brought in just to face him.“We’re going one day at a time, but everything feels great,” Altuve said after Wednesday’s live batting practice session. “I’m getting some momentum to go back to 100 percent. I like where I’m at.”The Astros went 9-8 across Altuve’s 17-game absence. His return will afford length to a top-heavy lineup in need of it, one forced to play light-hitting Nick Allen and strikeout-prone Brice Matthews in Altuve’s absence.By his standards, Altuve had pedestrian numbers prior to his injury, posting a .706 OPS and .245 batting average across his first 185 plate appearances. Altuve’s streaky style means a turnaround is never far away — and the Astros would benefit from one appearing.Jun 5, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms