Michael Shapiro is a sports reporter for Chron, covering the Astros, Rockets, Texans and every team in town. Michael is a Denver native and graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, and a noted fan of pull-up threes, wide-receiver passes and a good hot fudge sundae.

Career second baseman Jose Altuve will make his spring training debut on Friday, and he'll do it in left field, Houston Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters on Wednesday. Following the trade of All-Star Kyle Tucker,

Altuve has not appeared in a game yet this spring, but team officials had always targeted Friday for his first taste of left field. Manager Joe Espada confirmed the plan to reporters in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Wednesday morning.