Astros Manager Shares Unexpected Jose Altuve Update

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Michael DeRosa | Last updated Mar 4, 2025 7:53 AM ET

Back when the Houston Astros were pushing hard to bring back Alex Bregman, the prospect of Jose Altuve moving back to left field was first introduced. The idea was that if Bregman returned, newcomer Isaac Paredes would move to second base, and Altuve would play in the outfield.

However, Bregman, of course, signed a three-year, $120 million contract with the Boston Red Sox last month. Following this, Altuve has still been taking reps at left field, but it seemed like it would just be a secondary position for the nine-time All-Star.

Yet, Astros manager Joe Espada made it clear that there's more to the story. Espada confirmed to reporters, including the Houston Chronicle's Matt Kawahara, that Altuve's primary position will be left field this season.

"Right now, the plan is for him to play the majority of his games in left field," Espada said. "Back and forth is something that I am going to avoid."

This is certainly a big update on Altuve. The 34-year-old star spent his entire first 14 seasons in the major at second base and has undoubtedly had success at the position. He most notably won the Gold Glove at second base in 2015 and has been consistent in the field. However, even with this being the case, Altuve's moving to the outfield.

It will be fascinating to see how Altuve adjusts to his new position from here. He has been looking pretty good in left during Spring Training early on.

Jose Altuve makes a difficult play against the left field wall during the third inning of today's #Astros game against the Nationals. (Video: Houston Astros)@KHOU pic.twitter.com/SaPAJ7UkaO
— Jason Bristol (@JBristolKHOU) March 2, 2025