HOUSTON — Jose Altuve’s first play in the outfield as a professional baseball player was eventful.
With two outs and two on in the top of the first against the Mets on Thursday, Brandon Nimmo lofted a fly ball to left-center field, where center fielder Jake Meyers seemed to have a read on it.
But Altuve, who played 1,765 games for the Astros before switching to left this year, raced over and cut off Meyers to make the catch to end the inning — much to the delight of the sellout crowd at Daikin Park.
Altuve, the last significant link to the Astros’ scandal-scarred 2017 World Series title, received by far the loudest ovation of the day during pregame Opening Day ceremonies and was still in the leadoff spot in the lineup.
The Astros, though, don’t figure to be the same threat in the American League as they have been for much of the past decade, with Alex Bregman, the latest defection, now in Boston.
Altuve, who turns 35 in May, had seen his defense decline at second base, and Rockies castoff Brendan Rodgers started there on Thursday, with Mauricio Dubón expected to get the bulk of time at the spot.
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