SEATTLE, WA – July 17, 2025 – The Houston Astros will begin their highly anticipated showdown against the second-place Seattle Mariners tonight at T-Mobile Park without the services of their All-Star shortstop, Jeremy Peña, who continues to recover from a fractured left rib. While Peña is progressing well, the critical divisional series has come too soon for his return.
Peña has been sidelined since June 27th when he sustained the rib fracture after being hit by a pitch. His absence is a significant blow to the Astros, as the 27-year-old was in the midst of a breakout season, leading the team with a .322 batting average and an .867 OPS, and playing Gold Glove-caliber defense at shortstop.
General Manager Dana Brown confirmed recently that while Peña has resumed light baseball activities, including hitting in the batting cage and performing on-field work, he is not yet cleared for full participation, specifically throwing across the infield. This crucial next step means he won’t be activated from the injured list for the series opener or likely any game in Seattle.
“He’s progressing well, but we don’t want to rush him back,” Brown stated. “This series in Seattle is a little early for him, but he isn’t far off.”
Mauricio Dubon and Zack Short are expected to continue handling the shortstop duties for the Astros in Peña’s absence. His inability to play in this pivotal series against their closest AL West rival underscores the injury challenges the Astros have faced throughout the first half of the season.
While Peña will miss this key divisional clash, there’s optimism within the organization that he could make his return to the lineup sometime before the end of July, providing a much-needed boost as the Astros push through the second half.