\u201cI don\u2019t want to put a date on it, obviously,\u201d Pe\u00f1a said. \u201cBut yeah, I think this could be a minimum-type thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Astros manager Joe Espada reiterated the belief is Pe\u00f1a\u2019s strain is \u201cmild\u201d and expressed hope that Pe\u00f1a could resume running after the team\u2019s off day Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still feel strongly that it can be minimum time,\u201d Espada said.<\/p>\n
If Pe\u00f1a were to miss only 10 days, he could return for the July 10 opener of the Astros\u2019 final series before the All-Star break against the Texas Rangers, who entered Tuesday leading the American League West.\u00a0Pe\u00f1a will miss series against the Twins, Rays and Nationals, at least, due to the injury.<\/p>\n
Pe\u00f1a on Tuesday said he was dealing with the calf issue for at least a week and that it \u201cgradually, I would say, got worse\u201d until he felt the need to alert the team. Espada said Pe\u00f1a had reported \u201cleg discomfort\u201d prior to Monday\u2019s series opener against the Twins.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was feeling it I would say for the last week, week and a half,\u201d Pe\u00f1a said. \u201cI was kind of playing through it. And then like I said it was slowly just getting a little bit worse and a little bit worse every single day and it got to the point where I was like, \u2018I need to say something,\u2019 because I know there\u2019s something there. So that\u2019s what we did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like I\u2019ve been doing a great job with my preparation before the games, I feel like I\u2019ve been doing a great job of taking care of my body, and that\u2019s just part of the game sometimes,\u201d Pe\u00f1a said.<\/p>\n
After returning May 18 from the hamstring injury, Pe\u00f1a posted a .307\/.372\/.471 slash line over 38 games before returning to the IL. Entering Tuesday, the Astros were 25-20 this season with Pe\u00f1a in the starting lineup and 17-25 with him absent.<\/p>\n