The Houston Astros received bad news about second baseman Jose Altuve on Sunday.

The day before, the 32-year-old injured the thumb of his right hand in a World Baseball Classic matchup. The Venezuelan was injured in a duel against the USA. He was handed a straight shot by Daniel Bard.

The Astros said Altuve needs surgery and doesn’t know how long he’ll be out at this point.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” said Altuve, whose comments were reported by the Houston Chronicle’s newspaper.

“I just have to go home and focus on what I have to do. I will stay with the team and encourage my teammates.

“No one wants to get injured and start the campaign on the injured list. I want to control what I can control and recover quickly to get back to the team.”

In 2022, Altuve maintained a batting average of .300. He scored 158 hits, including 28 home runs.

Blue Jays offensive stalled

The Toronto Blue Jays, limited to just three hits, were shut out 1-0 by the Tampa Bay Rays in a preseason game at Tropicana Field on Sunday.

George Springer, Brandon Belt and Cavan Biggio were the only Canadian major league teams to bring the ball to safety. Rays starter for that duel, Drew Rasmussen, gave up two hits in five innings of work. He also had two strikeouts.

The only point of this duel was scored in the third set. Harold Ramirez hit a single that allowed his teammate Yandy Diaz to step on the plate. At that time, Gunner Alek Monoah was on duty. The Jays’ star pitcher allowed five hits and went on the mound one in six innings. He also passed four rivals in the glove.

The Blue Jays return with a matchup against the Detroit Tigers Monday afternoon. The Queen City organization has amassed a 13-11 record since the start of their preseason roster.