Houston Astros star Jose Altuve's ailing knee required surgery as soon as the season came to an end.Per MLB.com's Brian McTaggart http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-terry-steinbach-jersey , the reigning American League MVP had a surgical procedure done on his right knee Friday.A source told McTaggart that Altuve is expected to be ready for spring training.The Astros' bid to repeat as World Series champions came to an end when the Boston Red Sox defeated them in the American League Championship Series.Injuries have become a problem for the first time in the 28-year-old's career, including his first-ever trip to the disabled list in 2018.The second baseman went on the DL at the end of July with a knee injury that cost him nearly a month of action. He injured his knee again during Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians but continued to play through the pain.This comes after Altuve missed just 22 total games over the past four years, never missing more than nine games in a single season. In that time Dave Henderson Jersey , he has transformed into one of the top hitters in the majors, with three batting titles and an MVP award.He kept up his great hitting in 2018, producing a .316 batting average with 13 home runs despite the injury woes. LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lance McCullers Jr. will head back to Houston to have his right elbow examined after leaving his start against the Los Angeles Dodgers because of discomfort Saturday night.The right-hander gave up two hits in four innings http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-dennis-eckersley-jersey , struck out five and walked two before departing with a 1-0 lead. Houston won the game 14-0.“He came to me after his last inning and said he felt a little something,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “We really didn’t like the look in his warm-up pitches so I took him out of the game.”McCullers will fly out Sunday before the series finale against the Dodgers. The Astros conclude their eight-game trip with a visit to San Francisco.“I felt some abnormal soreness and stiffness that I wouldn’t feel during the game,” McCullers said. “I couldn’t have felt any better to start the game Santiago Casilla Jersey , which is the most frustrating part.”McCullers was back on the mound at Dodger Stadium for the first time since starting Game 7 of last year’s World Series, when the Astros beat Los Angeles.He has lost three of his last four starts and is 11-7 with a 4.06 ERA.