Aug 1, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (3) hits a single against the Boston Red Sox during the third inning at Fenway Park. Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Astros Receive Good News About Jeremy Pena Despite Injury Scare

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Aug 2, 2025 2:45 PM ET

As the Houston Astros continue with a big series against the Boston Red Sox, they can breathe a sigh of relief about one of their key players.

While the Astros might not have been able to beat the Red Sox in their series opener, they did avoid another major scare.

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In his first game back from being on the injured list with a rib injury, Jeremy Pena was removed from the game with a hamstring issue. Due to the number of injuries that have piled up this season, it was easy to be pessimistic about the outlook.

However, despite being out of the lineup on Saturday, manager Joe Espada isn’t worried about his shortstop and expects him back soon.

Joe Espada says Peña is OK but they’d like to stay away from him today:

“He’s OK, just gonna give him a day. I think the travel and being on base a lot yesterday, he cramped up a little bit.”
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) August 2, 2025

Since he just came off the injured list, the hamstring cramp might have just been him not quite being in top shape yet. Giving him the day off is a wise move to avoid anything major happening to him.

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So far this year, Pena has been one of the best sluggers for Houston. He has slashed .326/.381/.491 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI. It has been a career campaign for the former World Series MVP, and hopefully, this hamstring issue is resolved quickly.

Taking over for Pena at shortstop on Saturday will be the newly acquired Carlos Correa. While Correa figures to be the third baseman moving forward, his ability to fill in at shortstop is a nice luxury as well.

While they will be without their star shortstop on Saturday, hopefully, he’s back in the lineup on Sunday.

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This article first appeared on Houston Astros on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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