The Houston Astros’ All-Star shortstop, Jeremy Peña, was back on the field for the second game of the season. He was healthy enough to be on the Opening Day roster but was unable to play due to his finger injury. However, he is back at it and only missed one game.
Jeremy Peña suffered a finger injury while representing the Dominican Republic earlier this month in preparation for the World Baseball Classic. The game was between the Dominican Republic and the Detroit Tigers in Santo Domingo. He had to exit the game after three innings and was set to be re-evaluated to determine the severity of the injury.
He fielded a ground ball off the bat of Wenceel Pérez behind second base. He was about to make the throw to first for the out, but after the play, he looked down at his hand. The ball reportedly hit his fingernail, causing it to bleed.
He was able to stay in the game briefly and went up to bat, striking out in the bottom of the third. After that at-bat, he was removed from the game and had an X-ray.
After further evaluation, Peña’s injury was confirmed as a fracture at the tip of his right ring finger. Unfortunately, this led him to miss Opening Day. After missing a good chunk of Spring Training and the opportunity to represent his home country in the World Baseball Classic, Peña made his season debut in the second game of Houston’s regular-season schedule.
Against the Los Angeles Angels, Peña went 2-for-5 with a run scored and a stolen base in Friday’s 6–2 win.
In 125 games last season, Peña posted a .304 average with 17 home runs, 62 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases. He earned his first All-Star selection and finished 10th in American League MVP voting, per MLB.
Peña’s return is a significant boost for Houston. Peña remains one of the most reliable defenders at shortstop and a key piece of the Astros’ lineup. While the injury sidelined him briefly, his quick return represents the best-case scenario, helping the Astros avoid a long-term setback for the 2026 season. Losing star players was a theme of 2025, and avoiding a repeat of that will be key to their success this season.
With a long season ahead, getting Peña back early helps Houston maintain stability as they begin another push for the postseason.