The Houston Astros suffered a sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox over the weekend. Astros manager Joe Espada helped his team cruise against the Miami Marlins, winning the first two games of their series. Houston will be without All-Star shortstop Jeremy Pena for the finale as he recovers from injury. His manager is optimistic about his return against the New York Yankees.
Pena missed time with a hamstring strain earlier this week. The Astros standout missed the All-Star Game thanks to a similar injury. Espada is giving his young star a day off in order to ensure that he is ready for the team's next series. Houston heads to New York on Thursday ahead of a weekend series against the Yankees.
According to The Athletic's Chandler Rome, Pena's recovery is all a part of the plan.
Fortunately for the Astros, they have been able to take care of the Marlins despite being at less than full strength. Houston lost Isaac Paredes to injury and replaced him with former Astros champion Carlos Correa. Espada's team stole the spotlight with the trade deadline move, bringing up questions about where Pena will play when he is ready to play every day again.
Starting with their series against the Yankees, Espada expects Pena to be ready to play every day. Luckily for him, Correa is happy to play third base, clearing the way for Pena to take over at shortstop in the team's long-term plans.
The addition of Correa has helped the Astros get back on track in the American League West. Their two wins against the Marlins have helped them to maintain a three game lead over the Seattle Mariners. Even without some of their best players, the Astros have put together another dominant season. Espada's squad has a chance to make a deep run, but Pena is a key piece.
The shortstop is close to making his full-time return. However, Espada believes he needs one extra day off before getting the green light from his coaches.
