Astros Manager Shares Bizarre Reason On Why Star Infielder Is Not in the Lineup

The Houston Astros have had a very back and forth start to their 2025 campaign, posting a 23-22 record so far, and sticking right around .500 nearly the entire way there. This has left them in third place among the American League West teams, behind the 25-19 Seattle Mariners and the 25-22 Texas Rangers.

One of the largest components to their success this season has been the resurgence of their bats in recent weeks, specifically Jeremy Peña, who has been on a star trajectory in 2025, after a somewhat slow start to his career. This success has been enormously fun to watch in terms of quality baseball, and it is clear that he has become the player to rally around as the focal point of the offense.

The most impressive part is that he did not miss a single inning of the first 45 games of the season, which is an extremely difficult task, especially given he plays shortstop which takes its toll on the body. Nonetheless, he did it, missing only a few at-bats of that first quarter or so of the season, but playing in every inning that was available to him, accruing 394.2 innings in the field.

That streak will come to an end in game 46 however, as he has been provided with a rest day by manager Joe Espada. Espada recently went on the record to discuss why he chose to give the star shortstop some time off the field.

What Did Joe Espada Have to Say Regarding the Day Off for Peña?

Brian McTaggart of MLB.com recently transcribed the quote from Espada, and the full statement is as follows:

"He plays so hard and sometimes you have to bring him back so he can relax and rest. We have another seven games -- three in Tampa where it's going to be hot and humid -- and then we have another important series with Seattle finishing up this long stretch of games. I want him rested."

This is likely one of the better decisions he could make given the situation, as Peña has been a borderline superstar through this first month and a half, and his workload has been astronomical due to this. Allowing him some time to recover from the grueling amoung of time he has dedicated to being in the field is a good preventative measure to try and avoid any injuries down the stretch.

A game or two here or there will not hurt the team in the long run, and ensuring he plays up to his full potential by keeping him healthy is the only way to remain competitive through the summer.