Jose Altuve is aging rather gracefully for the Houston Astros, his struggles on the defensive side of the ball notwithstanding. On Monday night, Altuve scared off the Monday blues and flashed his vintage form in an 8-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox to move to 3-2 on the season.

Altuve finished the night with four hits and four at-bats along with a walk, and of those four hits, two went out of the yard for solo shots. This was a brilliant outing from the Astros veteran coming from the leadoff spot, and he helped set the tone for the team with his masterful performance.

These home runs came in back-to-back plate appearances for Altuve; his first home run came on a hanging breaking ball from Red Sox reliever Johan Oviedo, with the Astros star hitting a no-doubter right towards the seventh row in the left field bleachers.

Altuve's second home run did not travel as far, but the result was similar; the Astros second baseman saw a four-seamer from Oviedo's hands land right in the middle of the strike zone, and he did not miss, tattooing the baseball once more over towards the left field stands.

Altuve may be on the downturn of his career, but every now and again, the brilliance that made him one of the Astros' greatest players in franchise history peeks through the aging curtain.

Jose Altuve turns back the clock for the Astros

Houston Astros left fielder Jose Altuve (27) hits a single in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.
Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Altuve has been so good for so long that it's hard to envision him declining. But Father Time comes for every professional athlete, and Altuve is no exception. His bat speed has become noticeably worse, and it's his defense that has taken quite the huge hit.

Be that as it may, Altuve still has the full trust of the Astros brass, and on Monday night, he showed the considerable upside he possesses even this late into his career.