Jeremy Peña's rib fracture derails breakout season for Astros

New York Times

a day ago

DENVER — On Saturday afternoon, about 20 hours after an 89 mph changeup rocked his rib cage, Jeremy Peña descended some dugout steps and entered the Houston Astros' weight room during the fourth inning of a forgettable 12-3 loss.
Peña and Astros strength coach Hazael Wessin worked with medicine balls while exploring the mobility of his injured side. The pain Peña felt while breathing had abated, and he felt 'pretty good' while undergoing the workout.
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Manager Joe Espada penciled Peña into Sunday afternoon's starting lineup. The should-be All-Star shortstop arrived at Daikin Park early to take swings in the batting cage in preparation.
'It didn't feel too good,' Peña said Tuesday, 'and that's when we got the extra imaging done.'
Then, for the second time in three months, additional testing uncovered a bigger problem in one of Houston's most meaningful players. Peña sustained a rib fracture on his left side, stalling the shortstop's breakout season while delivering a staggering blow to an offense that can ill afford one.
'It's unfortunate, but we'll take it day by day,' Peña said. 'I don't feel too bad. I don't think it's something too serious, but we'll give it time and see how it plays out.'
Neither Peña nor general manager Dana Brown divulged a timeline for Peña's return, though both men seemed somewhat optimistic that it would be a short-term absence. That Peña could work out Saturday without pain may support the claim, but he is doing no baseball activities and is unsure when he'll resume them.
'I do feel like I could probably do some stuff moving around, but we're going to give it some rest and be sure that it's not going to set me back,' Peña said. 'Right now, we're taking it pretty easy. But it's kind of going to be up to me, how I feel, and seeing how we go from here.'
Peña's injured list stint is backdated to June 28, meaning he could return as early as a July 8 game against the Cleveland Guardians. The All-Star break begins six days later. Peña is all but guaranteed to be named an American League All-Star, though his prospects of playing in the exhibition appear dim.
Still, Brown said there is a 'chance' Peña could return after the requisite 10 days, though it's worth wondering whether that risk is worth the reward. Houston entered Tuesday with a six-game lead in the American League West, a luxury it may use to its advantage.
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'That's part of the point,' Brown said. 'The team is playing very well. We don't want to rush him back. … It's wise to pump the brakes.'
Doing so will derail a prolific season for Peña, who has propelled the Astros atop the American League West while putting himself on the precipice of superstardom. The 27-year-old shortstop leads the club in almost every offensive category. Only Aaron Judge awoke Tuesday worth more wins above replacement than Peña, according to Baseball-Reference.
'The team is in a great position. We have guys that come up from Triple A and they contribute right away. I'm not worried about that aspect,' said Peña, who has slashed .353/.402/.536 in 56 games since becoming Houston's leadoff hitter.
'As far as for me, of course I want to be out there and of course I want to be playing, but I want to be feeling 100 percent if I'm going to go out there and play.'
The plunking forced Peña to the injured list for the second time in his four-year major-league career. He remained in Friday's game for three innings after he got hit, even taking another at-bat. Adrenaline kept him afloat, Peña acknowledged.
'I was feeling it,' Peña said. 'I felt it more throwing from shortstop in between innings, but we had a pretty good lead in the game. I approached the trainers, approached Joe and said, 'I'm not feeling too good, I'm kind of hurting.''
Mauricio Dubón replaced Peña at shortstop that night and should get most of the playing time in his absence. Espada will stick with third baseman Isaac Paredes as his leadoff man in Peña's stead, valuing the volume of pitches he sees per plate appearance. Jake Meyers, Jose Altuve and Cam Smith will follow to make up the top four of Houston's batting order.
'(Paredes) going to find himself on base a lot,' Espada said. 'I like the way Jake is swinging the bat, and Jose has found a home in the three-spot. Cam Smith right now is locked in.'
Both Luis Guillorme and Shay Whitcomb could handle shortstop, but the team views Dubón — the 2023 American League utility Gold Glove winner — as its best defensive option.
According to Baseball Savant, only four infielders entered Tuesday worth more outs above average than the 12 Houston has accrued. Maintaining that magnificence is the team's foremost priority, even with a lineup weakened by absences from Peña and Yordan Alvarez.
Run prevention has ruled the day throughout this season, but Peña's absence will force the Astros to abandon one of the reasons it's been so successful. Espada acknowledged Tuesday that Altuve will play more second base while Peña is out, weakening an infield that has thrived since his switch to left field.
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The potential of a more prolonged absence for Alvarez, who suffered a setback Tuesday, could precipitate more at-bats at designated hitter for Altuve. He's already started a career-high 21 games there this season. Altuve's .811 OPS as a designated hitter is almost 70 points higher than his production when he plays either left field or second base.