Jeremy Pena was pulled early from the Dominican Republic's exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday after he sustained an injury on his finger. On Thursday, it was revealed that the Houston Astros star will miss at least two weeks.
Reports indicate that Pena, who is 28 years old, is dealing with a fracture in his right ring finger, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The Astros plan to reevaluate his status in two weeks.
“Jeremy Pena has a fracture in the tip of his right ring finger, according to the Astros. He will be reevaluated in two weeks.”
That timeline means Pena is likely to miss the World Baseball Classic entirely. However, it does put him on track to return by Opening Day when the Astros begin the season with a matchup against the Los Angeles Angels on March 26. But it will depend on the results of his finger during the reevaluation process.
The injury occurred when a ground ball struck his right hand. Pena was removed from the contest almost immediately and did not return. The Dominican Republic went on to win the exhibition match against the Tigers 12-4.
It's a tough loss for the Dominican Republic, as Pena is one of the best shortstops in MLB. The team may have to find a replacement before they take on Nicaragua on Friday, March 6, to begin their run in the World Baseball Classic.
Jeremy Pena is set to begin his fifth MLB season with the Astros. He is coming off a solid season that earned him the first All-Star nod of his career. Pena ended the 2025 campaign with a .304 batting average (career-high) and .363 OBP (career-high) while recording 150 hits, 17 home runs, 62 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases (tied career-high).
