SUPPORT » The Houston Astros on Monday night concluded what w

SEATTLE — as their longest stretch without All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve since he made his debut as a 21-year-old on July 20 http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-max-muncy-jersey , 2011.Altuve will be reinstated from the 10-day disabled list Tuesday and will rejoin the starting lineup following a 21-game hiatus caused by right knee discomfort when Houston visits the Seattle Mariners.Altuve exited in the fifth inning July 25 against the Colorado Rockies in Denver. He landed on the DL for the first time in his decorated eight-year career later that week. The Astros (75-50) dropped the opener of their three-game series with the Seattle Mariners on Monday and fell to 8-13 without Altuve.Article continues below ...Altuve made one rehab assignment start Sunday for Triple-A Fresno at Tacoma, finishing 1-for-3 with a hit by pitch. He got all the requisite work in advance of his return to action and declared himself fit to play following what has been an unusual experience.“That was my first Triple-A game. Believe it or not, I was a little excited,” said Altuve, who made the jump to the majors from Double-A Corpus Christi. “It’s been a long time since I played in the minor leagues … but I know this was just part of my rehab.“I have what I was looking to have.”Said Astros manager A.J. Hinch: “He had a successful day of building some confidence and getting himself active where he could test himself. He did just about everything: he got a hit, he got on the bases, he made a hard turn, he sprinted to second base on a bloop single. They were reaction plays that we can’t really simulate in early work. It takes game competition to do that.”For the first time this season, the Astros will utilize a sixth starter. Hinch has declared the second game of the series a bullpen day, with right-hander Brad Peacock (2-4, 3.19 ERA) slated to get the start against Seattle. The rotation void was created when right-hander Lance McCullers was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right forearm strain Aug. 5.Peacock is 5-4 with a 4.42 ERA in 15 games (nine starts) versus Seattle Maury Wills Jersey , including four scoreless relief appearances over 5 1/3 innings this season.Right-hander Mike Leake (8-7, 3.90 ERA) will start for the Mariners. Leake has recorded six consecutive quality starts, going 0-1 with a 2.54 ERA during that stretch. Despite allowing only two hits and one walk over eight scoreless innings in his previous outing against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday, Leake did not factor into the decision. He is 6-6 with a 3.67 ERA over 15 career appearances (13 starts) against the Astros, including 0-2 with a 5.00 ERA this season.The Mariners (72-54) pulled to within 3 1/2 games of Houston and the Athletics in the American League West after rallying for a 7-4 victory in the series opener. The Mariners have won five consecutive games against the slumping Astros, who have dropped eight of 10 to fall back into a tie with the Athletics atop the division.Closer Edwin Diaz has saved each of the last six Seattle victories over the Astros and matched the franchise record with his 48th save Monday. GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — All-Star second baseman Scooter Gennett will miss the opening months of the season with a severe groin strain, costing the Cincinnati Reds one of their top hitters less than a week before opening day.Gennett injured the right side of his groin Friday while making a play on a groundball hit by Milwaukee’s Yasmani Grandal. He had an MRI, and the Reds said Saturday that he’s expected to miss two to three months.“He is in a lot of pain,” said manager David Bell, who was with Gennett when the medical staff read his MRI. “He wants to play so bad. That makes it tough Fernando Valenzuela Jersey , but he’s already thinking positive.”The injury forces the Reds to rearrange their infield — which had been one set area of the team — heading into the season opener Thursday against Pittsburgh at Great American Ball Park. Bell plans to move shortstop Jose Peraza to second base and use newcomer Jose Iglesias at shortstop.The injury is unlikely to alter the team’s plan to start top prospect Nick Senzel at Triple-A. Senzel has played second and third base in the minors but focused mostly on center field this spring.Peraza has played second, a major factor in Bell’s decision. The Reds signed Iglesias to a minor league deal on Feb. 23, giving them depth at shortstop.“Peraza will continue to play some shortstop,” Bell said. “We still see him as a shortstop. There were concerns about moving him back to second because he worked so hard at shortstop, but the willingness of him to move made it an easy conversation.”The Reds overhauled their outfield and their starting rotation through a series of offseason trades, but the infield had been set with Joey Votto at first, Gennett at second, Peraza at shortstop and Eugenio Suarez at third.Gennett’s injury is a significant setback to the offense.The Reds claimed Gennett off waivers from the Brewers a day before they broke camp for the 2017 season. Gennett adjusted his swing and had a career year. He became the first major leaguer to have four homers, five hits and 10 RBIs in a game. He also led the majors with four grand slams, joining Lou Gehrig as the only players with a four-homer game and a four-grand slam season.Last season, he became an All-Star for the first time. His ninth-inning http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-max-muncy-jersey , pinch-hit homer sent the All-Star Game to extra innings. Gennett finished second to Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich for the batting crown with a .310 average.In the last two years, Gennett has 50 homers and 189 RBIs, joining Dave Parker and Deron Johnson as the only Reds to put up such numbers in their first two seasons with Cincinnati.After making $5.7 million last season, he avoided arbitration and settled for a one-year deal for $9,775,000. Gennett, who turns 29 in May, is a free agent after this season. He’d like to stay in Cincinnati, but the Reds haven’t been interested in discussing a long-term deal.