Jose Altuve ducking out of All-Star Game yet again shows he's scared of Rangers fans

Despite being an elected starter with a 55% of the vote, Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve has elected to forgo participating in Tuesday's 2024 MLB All-Star Game.

In his absence, Texas Rangers' Marcus Semien will get the nod at second base for the American League at Globe Life Field. Twins utility player Willi Castro was also added to the to the AL roster in Altuve's place.

This marks Altuve's third absence — his second since being elected a starter — since the MLB penalized the Astros for stealing signs illegally in 2017 and 2018.

Given the well-documented rivalry between the Astros and the Rangers, one must wonder whether the heat he would have undoubtedly received from Rangers fan inside their own stadium played a factor in his decision.

Just this past weekend, the Rangers took a road series from the Astros to salvage some momentum heading into the break, so the fans in Dallas had that on their side, too.

Jose Altuve ducking out of All-Star Game yet again shows he's scared of Rangers fans

Altuve is currently in his 14th MLB season, all of which have been with the Astros. And as of today he is hitting .306 with an .815 OPS, 14 home runs and 44 RBI during the 2024 campaign. Despite being a nine-time All-Star, the Venezuela native has not participated in a single All-Star Game since 2018, citing minor injuries for most absences.

This year he cited an injury he sustained on July 5, after being struck by a 94.3 mph sinker from Twins pitcher Josh Winder in the eighth inning.

Though, since the Astros' 2017 cheating scandal, boos have followed Altuve seemingly everywhere he plays — and for good reason. Whether or not he took part in the scandal, the actions of his team compromised the game.

The Astros cheating scandal in 2017, culminating in Houston winning the World Series, was one of the biggest scandals the sport of baseball has ever seen.

An MLB investigation confirmed in January 2020 that the Astros illegally used a camera system to steal signs during the 2017 regular season and postseason, as well as during a portion of the 2018 season.

Then-manager AJ Hinch and then-genral manager Jeff Luhnow were fired upon the investigation's results. Hinch was suspended. Luhnow was banned for life. Just five Astros from 2017 are left on the roster — with Jose Altuve being chief among them.

Even outlets as reputable as the New York Times have begun wondering if he is simply trying to avoid the negative attention by avoiding numerous All-Star games because it's becoming painfully obvious at this point. It's an honor and a privilege to be chosen, and Altuve continues to brush off the honor.

Just three months before tonight's game, Taylor Swift released the song "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" as part of her newest album. Altuve stands at 5'6", and with this latest All-Star opt out, people seem to be wondering just how small and cowardly he really is.