Jose Altuve sits again with ailing oblique as Astros mull next step

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve sat out a second straight game Wednesday after injuring his left oblique in batting practice Tuesday.

General manager Dana Brown said he doesn't believe the injury is serious and the team will decide on its next step for Altuve on Thursday after reviewing the results on an MRI he had.

"I don't think there's any rush to bring him back," Brown told reporters. "I've talked about this before with the obliques of some of the other players. These injuries are really complicated, and so sometimes the best thing is rest. And so I think right now it would be my opinion, strong opinion, as to just giving him some rest and let it play out."

The Astros finish the season's first half with a four-game series against the Seattle Mariners starting Thursday, then take off for the All-Star break.

Altuve missed four games with an oblique issue earlier this season, but Brown told reporters that the latest ailment is in a different area.