Astros place SS Jeremy Pena on 10-day IL with thumb discomfort
Perhaps lost in the shuffle of impressive-looking MLB rookies entering the 2022 season was Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena. The 2018 third-round pick has played in 54 of the team's first 62 games this year and in a lineup full of stars, is currently second on the club in stolen bases (six), third in hits (53) and tied for third in batting average (.277) while ranking inside the top-five in a host of other categories.
Arguably Pena's most impressive figure are his 2.9 wins above replacement (WAR), which ranks not only second on the Astros, but tied for 11th in all of baseball.
The 24-year-old missed Houston's 4-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday with what was first called a wrist injury. On Wednesday morning, general manager James Click provided some clarity.
While "severe" can be somewhat subjective and we can't be certain what Click's definition was, we got further clarity a bit later on Wednesday morning when Pena was placed on the 10-day injured list with what is being called "thumb discomfort."
"Thumb discomfort" and a 10-day IL designation don't sound particularly concerning, but it's still a less than ideal situation for the Astros and Pena.
The AL West-leading Astros (38-24) come into play Wednesday with an 8 1/2 game lead over the second-place Rangers.
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