Less than three hours before the Detroit Tigers game against the Houston Astros on Wednesday, the Astros put five players on the injured list: designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, third baseman Alex Bregman, second baseman Jose Altuve, catcher Martin Maldonado and infielder Robel Garcia.
They were removed from the team for the time being because of health and safety protocols, Astros general manager James Click said. All five players, manager Dusty Baker said, received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot.
Altuve was removed in the ninth inning Tuesday for a pitch-hitter — Maldonado took his place in the lineup — was because the team discovered there was an issue with health and safety protocols.