TORONTO -- Already operating as one of the most injured teams in baseball, the Astros are hoping that Jeremy Peña’s early exit in Monday’s 4-2 loss against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre isn’t a long-term issue for their shortstop.
Peña was lifted for a pinch-hitter after exiting with a right hamstring cramp after he fouled off a pitch in the top of the sixth inning. Peña immediately reached toward the area, extended his right leg and walked awkwardly following the swing.
“He took that swing and the right hammy kind of cramped up on him,” Astros manager Joe Espada said postgame. “So, we just took him and got the doctors to see him. We’re going to reevaluate him tomorrow.”
Although Peña initially signaled to the dugout that he was OK, Espada and a team trainer came out to check on him before the 28-year-old was removed.
Brice Matthews replaced Peña in an 0-1 count and took over at third base in the bottom of the frame while Raynel Delgado slid over to shortstop.
Peña, who was 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and a run scored before exiting, has already spent time on the injured list this season with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. He missed over a month of games with that injury, hitting the IL on April 13 and returning on May 18.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with [the previous injury],” Peña said. “We are going to just see how I feel tomorrow. It’s a long season, so [we want to] catch it early.”
Despite the missed time, Peña has been one of the Astros’ most reliable producers on both sides of the ball. He has a .286/.345/.453 slash line with six homers in 42 games while also serving as a stabilizing force in the middle infield for Houston’s defense.
The Astros already have 10 players on the injured list, including middle-infield options Carlos Correa, Nick Allen and Braden Shewmake, but Peña wasn’t too concerned about Monday’s cramp lingering.
“I think it’s a pretty minor thing,” Peña said. “I kind of walked it off, shook it off. But just a normal cramp.”