Ex-Astros teammate pinpoints Jose Altuve’s only challenge in left field

League Championship Series - Houston Astros v New York Yankees - Game Four - Source: Getty
Ex-Astros teammate pinpoints Jose Altuve’s only challenge in left field - Game Four - Source: Getty

The biggest news coming out of Houston Astros camp heading into the 2025 season is that Jose Altuve is going to be moved into the outfield, most probably left field. The lifelong second baseman has sparingly played the position in his professional career.

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Former teammate Josh Reddick, who played for the Astros from 2017 to 2020 and won a World Series ring in 2017, weighed in on Altuve’s defensive transition, while appearing (from the mountain in Breckenridge) on Crush City Territory podcast.

Reddick, a former Gold Glove winner, believes the biggest challenge for the All-Star second baseman will be reading line drives off the bat.

"Line drives are the hardest plays to master, even for seasoned outfielders," Reddick said (10:11 onwards). "The tricky part is figuring out whether the ball will come right at you, top-spin, or keep carrying."
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Despite the challenges, Reddick expressed confidence that Altuve can adjust.

"Can he do it? Absolutely," Reddick said. "He just has to learn how to throw from that distance — that’ll probably be his only real issue."
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Will height be a factor for Jose Altuve playing left field?

Height plays an important role in the outfield, as borderline home runs can be caught off. For Altuve, that could prove to be key on the road because he's only 5-foot-6.

Host Chandler Rome asked Reddick about it.

"Tony Kemp played an excellent outfield for us, and he’s done it everywhere he’s gone," Reddick said. "So I don’t think height is a factor. Ricky Henderson wasn’t very tall, and that man was just fine."
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As far as home games are concerned, height won't matter much at Minute Maid Park, which features the iconic scoreboard and shorter dimensions down the line.

Reddick said that the Astros will likely avoid putting Jose Altuve in situations where he has to make difficult wall plays.

With spring training reps and guidance from experienced outfielders in the team, Reddick believes that Jose Altuve will gradually settle into the role.

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Edited by Bhargav
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