Shortstop Jeremy Peña returned to the Houston Astros‘ lineup Monday, while first baseman Christian Walker remained absent for a second consecutive game.
Walker was removed from Saturday’s game due to “right hip tightness” after he took a check-swing in a fourth-inning at-bat against Baltimore. Monday, Walker did on-field pregame work with the Astros with the possibility of being available off the bench for their series opener against the Marlins, manager Joe Espada said.
This is the first time this season Walker has been absent from Houston’s lineup in back-to-back games. He had a .234/.310/.456 slash line with 20 home runs and a 113 OPS-plus in 98 games before Monday.
Peña also exited Saturday’s game early, due to a right hamstring cramp. He was back in the leadoff spot and at shortstop for the Astros on Monday against Miami. Peña entered the day with a .295/.359/.430 slash line and a 122 OPS-plus in 53 games this season.
Injuries have cut into Peña’s season. The 2025 All-Star missed a month to a right hamstring strain in the first half and left a June 22 game in Toronto due to a cramp in that hamstring. He missed 10 days on the IL with a left calf strain before the All-Star break.