Astros Place Superstar Shortstop on Injured List With Rib Fracture

The Houston Astros have done what they were surely dreading as they placed their superstar shortstop on the injured list after he missed the last couple of games.

Chandler Rome of The Athletic broke the news on Monday morning that Astros star Jeremy Pena would be going on the injured list with a rib fracture.

The severity of rib fractures varies case by case, and Houston is normally very close to their chest with injury specificities. Fans can expect to be without Pena for at least a month, but it could be longer.

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It was reported previously that imaging did not reveal any fracture, but Rome later clarified that further imaging revealed a fracture.

Pena was hit by a pitch in the June 27 game against the Chicago Cubs. He did make one more at-bat, but grounded out to shortstop before exiting the game with Mauricio Dubon replacing him.

This will be a massive blow to an Astros lineup that is already without Yordan Alvarez. Pena has been very important to their success, so this certainly dampens the mood a bit coming off of a big series win against the Cubs.

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It may seem weird to call Pena a breakout star, seeing as though he was a World Series MVP back in 2022, but the shortstop has taken his game up another notch this year.

The 27-year-old has posted a .322/.378/.489 slash line with 11 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 82 games this year.

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