HOUSTON — Jeremy Peña wasn’t in the Astros’ Opening Day lineup, but his absence should be brief.
The All-Star shortstop, who fractured the tip of his right ring finger on March 4 during a World Baseball Classic exhibition with the Dominican Republic, took live at-bats Thursday morning at Triple-A Sugar Land as he continues ramping up for a return. General manager Dana Brown made it clear the timeline is short.
“He could be in there sooner rather than later,” Brown said. “That’s why we put him on the roster. He feels really good.”
Manager Joe Espada added that Peña is likely less than 10 days away from rejoining the lineup.
Peña has said the finger is no longer an issue. After going 1-for-4 with a 394-foot home run in the Astros’ final exhibition game Tuesday, he emphasized that the focus is now on timing.
“The concern is not the finger,” Peña said. “The finger feels good to go. It’s a matter of getting at-bats and feeling game-ready.”
The timing matters. Peña hit .304 with an .840 OPS, 17 home runs, and 20 stolen bases in 125 games last season, earning his first All-Star selection. In his absence, Carlos Correa shifts to shortstop while Isaac Paredes moves to third—a workable alignment, but not the preferred one.
“When Jeremy is on the field, we are a way, way better team,” Espada said. “When we are full, when we are healthy and we are loaded, our lineup is a really good lineup. He’s that piece right now.”
For now, the Astros are adjusting. Not for long.
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Photo: Johnmaxmena2, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
