April 19, 2021 3:01 PM : Altuve isn't expected to be activated from the COVID-19 injured list ahead of Tuesday's game in Colorado while he waits to clear MLB health and safety protocols, Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston reports.
Analysis: Of the five players Houston placed on the COVID-19 IL on April 14, Altuve looks to be the only member of the group that won't be available for the start of the series in Colorado. Meanwhile, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Martin Maldonado and Robel Garcia will fly to Denver on Monday, and all should be reinstated from the IL ahead of Tuesday's series opener if they continue to pass all subsequent COVID-19 intake testing. Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported April 15 that only one member of the Astros quintet was known to have tested positive for the virus, and given that MLB protocols require positive players to isolate for a minimum of 10 days, Altuve would seem to be the infected individual. If that's the case, Altuve likely won't be available until the Astros' weekend series with the Angels at the earliest.