Altuve of the Astros leaves the game against the Athletics due to pain in the right side

HOUSTON – Astros second baseman Jose Altuve left Wednesday night's game against the Oakland Athletics after the fifth inning because of right side discomfort, but neither he nor manager Joe Espada seemed too concerned.

Altuve called Espada and the athletic trainer out of the dugout after a strikeout during his at-bat in the fifth inning. Altuve completed the at-bat, struck out on a bunt attempt, but did not take the field in the sixth inning.

“He got fooled on the field and kind of felt something,” Espada said. “Out of an abundance of caution, he decided to go with two strikes, just to make sure he was OK. Right now, day by day.”

Altuve said it was only after this swing that he began to have problems on his right side.

Altuve missed some time last season with an oblique abdominal muscle injury, but Espada said he doesn't think Wednesday night's injury had anything to do with it.

Altuve said he would wait and see how he felt on Thursday.

“I'm not too worried,” Altuve said. “Maybe I'll just wake up tomorrow and be ready to go. That's why I don't want to take a position tonight, because usually when you get injured you wait until the next day and see how you feel.”

At the start of the sixth inning, Altuve was replaced by Mauricio Dubón at second base, while Ben Gamel moved from right field to left and Jason Heyward came in from right field, taking Altuve's place in the lineup.

Altuve, who was 0 for 3 before being eliminated Wednesday, has a .302 batting average with 19 home runs and 62 RBIs this season. He has 174 hits, which ranked fourth in the majors before Wednesday.

The Astros received more bad injury news when outfielder Chas McCormick was diagnosed with a small fracture in his right hand, Espada said after the game. Espada did not have a timeline on how long McCormick would be out, but the injury will require a stay on the 10-day injured list.

McCormick sustained the injury when he hit the outfield wall while catching a ball on Tuesday night.

“It sucks,” McCormick said. “It's really disappointing. I just want to be here and try to help the team win, especially at the end of the season when we get to the playoffs.”