Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña left Saturday night’s 8-7 loss in Seattle in the fourth inning with right posterior knee tightness and will undergo imaging Sunday, the team announced.
Peña said he felt the tightness during Friday’s series opener as well but finished that game without reporting it. “I didn’t tell anybody, which I probably should have,” he said. He woke up Saturday feeling fine, started the game, and felt the knee tighten up again while running the bases in the fourth inning. He was replaced by pinch-runner Nick Allen as a precaution.
The timing is concerning for a team already dealing with a growing injured list. Peña is coming off the best season of his career—a .304 average, 17 home runs, 62 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 125 games—and was still working his way back to full-time duty after fracturing a finger during a WBC exhibition game in March. He is hitting .256 in 10 games this season.
No official IL placement has been announced. The Astros are expected to provide an update after Sunday’s imaging. Houston’s depth will be tested again if Peña misses time.
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