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.

The first five games of the Houston Astros' homestand are a small sample size, but provide evidence that Jose Altuve has found himself after a month-long slump.

What if Jose Altuve provides decent production? The franchise great has displayed signs of serious decline this season, struggling to generate extra-base power at the plate and failing to make a smooth transition to the outfield.