The Astros introduced Monday that star shortstop Jeremy Peña has been positioned on the 10-day injured checklist resulting from a “small” fracture in certainly one of his left ribs. The group has not but offered a timetable for Peña’s anticipated return. A corresponding transfer won’t be introduced till later within the day, the group added.
Peña was hit with a pitch within the ribs by Cubs rookie Cade Horton this previous Friday. He exited the sport, however preliminary x-rays got here again adverse. Peña was out of the lineup each Saturday and Sunday, and he was clearly nonetheless feeling discomfort, because the Astros indicated that follow-up MRI and CT scans have been carried out, which revealed the fracture.
It’s an terrible damage for the Astros. Peña is having fun with a full-fledged breakout this yr, delivering a efficiency that would properly make him an American League MVP finalist. The 27-year-old shortstop is hitting .322/.378/.489 with 11 house runs, 18 doubles, a triple and 15 steals (in 17 tries) — all whereas enjoying plus protection at shortstop. FanGraphs ranks him third within the majors with 4.1 wins above substitute, tied with Shohei Ohtani and trailing solely Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh. Baseball-Reference has Peña tied with Raleigh for second in baseball, behind solely Choose.
Peña’s breakout has partly been fueled by some luck on balls in play (.360 BABIP, up from .308 in his three prior seasons), however that’s solely a part of the story. He’s upped his stroll fee, and whereas it’s nonetheless beneath league common, his 5.7% mark is a notable enchancment over final yr’s paltry 3.8% clip. His 15.7% strikeout fee is down from final yr’s 17.1% mark. Peña’s batted-ball profile doesn’t essentially look all that completely different upon first look, however whereas his general common exit velocity is sort of unchanged from 2024, his exit velocity on balls hit within the air. particularly, is up almost three miles per hour. Statcast’s “anticipated” metrics nonetheless really feel there’s some regression in retailer, however there are tangible modifications to his underlying statistical profile that counsel he’s not merely going to fade again to his pedestrian offense from 2022-24.
Changing the kind of manufacturing Peña has offered merely isn’t possible. Mauricio Dubón has stepped up at shortstop over the previous couple days and might at the very least be anticipated to offer strong glovework, however he’s a profession .259/.294/.379 hitter who’s batting .239/.278/.390 in 2025. Prospect Brice Matthews, Houston’s decide at No. 28 general within the 2023 draft, is at present in Triple-A and slashing .285/.403/.492 with an enormous 15.4% stroll fee but in addition a weighty 28.5% strikeout fee.
Matthews will not be but on the 40-man roster and wouldn’t must be added this winter to guard him from the Rule 5 draft, however his efficiency nonetheless places him within the dialog for a glance with Peña shelved. Presumably, the longer Peña is predicted to overlook, the extra critically the group would think about Matthews an choice to step in for him. Different choices inside the group who’ve some shortstop expertise embrace Shay Whitcomb (already on the 40-man roster), Zack Short and Greg Jones. Neither Brief nor Jones is on the 40-man, nevertheless. Whitcomb has barely performed shortstop in 2025 however does have a bit greater than 1800 profession skilled innings on the place.
