Jose Altuve Astros star José Altuve left Saturday’s WBC game between Team USA and Venezuela after being hit by a pitch and many fans feared the worst.

The Houston Astros and their fans feared the worst about José Altuve Saturday night. A day later, the news does not look good. The eight-time All-Star left Saturday’s WBC game between Team USA and Team Venezuela after being struck in the hand by a 96 mph pitch.

The Astros updated his condition Sunday, saying Altuve suffered a right thumb fracture and will “undergo surgery in the upcoming days.”

The team said it will update Altuve’s status after the surgery.

Fans immediately wondered the obvious: What does that mean in terms of how long Altuve will be sidelined? A popular Twitter account specializing in sports medicine, Inside Injuries, took a best guess. The account tweeted, “Expect him to miss anywhere from 8-16 weeks depending on the exact location, severity and type of fracture.”

It’s important to note that Inside Injuries has not examined Altuve, and their prediction is just a best guess. For example, Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper missed two months with a broken thumb last season.

“Obviously, nobody wants to get hurt and start the season on the IL,” Altuve said Sunday (via MLB.com). “I want to control what I can control, and that’s recover fast and get back to the team.”

Altuve’s incident is the second significant injury to an MLB All-Star in the WBC in recent days. New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz suffered a torn patellar tendon while celebrating Puerto Rico’s win March 15, and he’s expected to miss the entire season.

MLB fans wished Altuve well on Twitter Sunday, with some blaming the WBC, while others disagreed.

[Houston Astros; Photo Credit: Fox Sports]

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.