CLEVELAND — His head covered with a stocking cap for warmth on another unusually cold spring day, Astros manager Joe Espada stopped momentarily as he rattled off name after name on his team's lengthy injury list.
“Anybody else I’m forgetting?” he asked.
It's understandable that Espada might need some help.
The Astros, who have lost 12 of 14 entering their series opener against the Guardians, have been ravaged by injuries so far this season. The club was forced to make yet another roster move on Monday, placing infielder Nick Allen on the 10-day injured list with back spasms.
Allen is the 15th player to go on the IL, a stunning number for a team that has played just 23 games. While the injuries have tested Espada’s patience, the easy-going manager is doing his best to keep things in perspective.
“It’s a long season,” he said. “I trust my players. We make changes to our process if we need to. We are prepared every day and that just keeps me going, and my faith. It’s a very long season. It feels like we’re 10 games out, and we’re not. We’re just three games out. It’s a long season.”
Espada did have some positive updates, particularly with starting shortstop Jeremy Peña, who has been out since April 13 with a strained right hamstring. Espada said Peña did some running at Progressive Field and planned “some more baseball activities.”
“He might take a couple swings,” Espada said.
Also, right-hander Tatsuya Imai -- one of four starting pitchers on the IL -- threw his first bullpen session since being shut down with arm fatigue. The Astros are trying to build back his arm strength, and getting back on the mound was a significant step.
Espada said closer Josh Hader (biceps tendinitis) and Cody Bolton (back inflammation) will both throw bullpen sessions on Tuesday. Nate Pearson (elbow surgery) is scheduled to pitch in a Minor League game on Thursday, but Espada wasn't sure with which affiliate.
Zach Dezenzo (elbow sprain) will serve as a designated hitter for Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday.
Espada said Allen, who had made some starts while Peña recovers, couldn't get his back to respond to treatment.
“He needed some time,” Espada said. "The back was not improving as quickly as we wanted it to, so we made that move."
The Astros are a work in progress with players coming and going on a daily basis. The newest arrival is infielder Braden Shewmake, acquired from a trade with the New York Yankees on Sunday.
“He can really catch the ball,” Espada said of Shewmake, who began the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. “I spoke to some of my friends in New York and they really like his versatility, second base, third base and short. So we do have that need right now.”
Though it's been a somewhat storied first month for the Astros, Espada is remaining upbeat. Injuries can heal, and so will time.
“Life itself is a test every single day,” he said. “I get up and the sun is out and it's an opportunity to make it a better day. That's how I approach life. I came from Puerto Rico and never thought I would be a Major League manager, and I am here, man.”