A second baseman for 14 seasons, Jose Altuve played a foreign position Friday for the first time. Contrary to baseball wisdom, the ball did not find him.

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.

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.