WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Shortstop Jeremy Peña returned to the Houston Astros lineup on Thursday from a one-game absence after he was hit by a pitch on his right forearm Tuesday night in Seattle.
Peña was hit by a 96.4 mph pitch in the eighth inning Tuesday and removed from that game in the next half-inning. He appeared as a pinch-runner in Wednesday’s loss to the Mariners but was limited to that role, manager Joe Espada said.
Thursday, Peña was back at shortstop and in the leadoff spot for the opener of Houston’s final regular-season series against the A’s. The Astros entered the day tied atop the American League West with the Rangers, who won Thursday afternoon.
“He says he’s good enough to play,” Espada said pregame. “So I trust him and he’ll be ready to go.”
Peña was one of three Astros players who left Tuesday’s game due to injury concerns. Starter Cristian Javier (right groin strain) and outfielder Brice Matthews (left knee inflammation) were subsequently placed on the injured list, ending their regular seasons.
Pitchers Steven Okert and Mike Burrows, who are on the injured list, both joined the Astros in West Sacramento, raising the possibility of their contributing at some point in the series.
Okert, recovering from a right hamstring strain, threw from a mound Wednesday and is slated to do so again in “the next day or two,” Espada said. Whether Okert could be available after that is unclear. The left-hander has been on the injured list since Sept. 4 and has not faced hitters in that stretch.
Burrows, who is recovering from a shoulder setback, made a two-inning rehab start for Triple-A Sugar Land last weekend and could potentially be a long relief or swingman option. Espada termed both of them “on standby.”