Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña to take big step toward return from injury
Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña will work out with the team on Monday and begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday with Triple-A Sugar Land, according to Julia Morales of Space City Home Network.
Peña has not played since June 27 after sustaining a rib fracture on a hit by pitch. He took live batting practice at the team's minor league facility in West Palm Beach over the weekend before joining the team in Houston as they prepare to play the Washington Nationals.
Astros manager Joe Espada updated the media on Saturday about Peña's progress.
'He's taking his ground balls, doing his base running — he's really, really close,' Espada said, per the Houston Chronicle's Matt Kawahara. 'Can't wait to have him back.'
Peña is in the midst of his first All-Star season at age 27. In 82 games, he's hitting .322 with 11 home runs and an .867 OPS and is a major reason why the Astros are in first place in the American League West. Houston is coming off a four-game sweep at the hands of the last-place Athletics and are 10-12 in July as the team navigates a spate of injuries.
'The injuries are part of where we're at as a club right now, but that's no excuse,' Espada said after the A's series. 'We've got to fight through this. While we wait for some of those players to return, we've got to find ways to continue to win games, and we have done that. Just in this series, we couldn't get it done.'
Peña is also one of five players from Houston's Opening Day lineup that is currently on the shelf. Isaac Paredes, Yordan Alvarez, Jake Meyers and Brendan Rodgers are all on the injured list, and none appears as close to a return as Peña. Alvarez took 50 swings off a tee and did soft toss in the batting cage last week, however, and he may be next to return.
Peña, meanwhile, could be back as soon as Friday when the Astros open up a nine-game road trip in Boston. The trip will also take them to New York to play the Yankees.
Related: Astros' Dusty Baker lands World Baseball Classic gig
Related: Astros DFA former top prospect day after inviting family
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