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Altuve says knee will be '120 percent' for spring training

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After landing on the disabled list in 2018 for the first time in his career, Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve underwent surgery on his right knee to repair a patella avulsion fracture on Oct. 19.

His recovery has been going well, and while he's not yet moving much, Altuve already has his eyes set on spring training.

"We have a lot of time before spring training," Altuve said, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. "We're not doing a lot. The only thing they told me is we're going to be 120 percent for the first day of spring training, and that's what really matters."

The 2017 MVP appeared in 137 games this season, the fewest he's played in since his rookie campaign in 2011 when he debuted in July. He slashed .316/.386/.451 with 13 home runs and 17 stolen bases this year.

The six-time All-Star suffered the knee injury during a July game in Colorado when he slid into second base. He wasn't at full strength in the postseason, either, as manager AJ Hinch said Altuve would not have been playing if it was the regular season.

He was far from the only Astros regular to miss time in 2018, as both George Springer and Carlos Correa wound up on the shelf. Altuve suggested the difficult times only bring him and his teammates closer together.

"I don't think a lot of guys were 100 percent, and that's what makes this team so beautiful because you just try to go out there and overcome adversity and play for each other, and that's what we did," Altuve said.

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