Valbuena has left the team to attend to a personal matter, the Houston Chronicle's Evan Drellich reports.

EDGE Analysis

He will not join the club on their weekend trip to play two exhibitions in Mexico City, and prospect Colin Moran will go to play third base in Valbuena's stead. There is nothing to suggest Valbuena won't be ready for the start of the regular season, but it will be worth checking next week to make sure he has rejoined the team. Incidentally, Moran has just slightly outplayed the veteran this spring, slashing .300/.364/.467 compared to Valbuena's .265/.375/.441 line. Moran has not yet played above Double-A, but he has one of the better hit tools in the Astros' minor league system, and could represent an upgrade over Valbuena at some point in the first half.