Jeremy Pena is finally about to play baseball again. And that could make things interesting for the Astros front office with the trade deadline now less than a month away.
The 28-year-old shortstop has been on the 10-day injured list since June 30 with what the team described as a right forearm issue. But according to MLB.com, Pena is scheduled to start a minor league rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Sugar Land, and the plan is for him to rejoin the big league club on July 10 when Houston opens a three-game series in Texas against the Rangers.
That timeline matters because Pena’s name has been swirling in trade rumors pretty much since he went down. The Atlanta Braves have been mentioned as a possible landing spot, though nothing concrete has surfaced. The Astros have not confirmed any of that speculation, but it’s out there.
Pena was having a quietly solid season before the injury. Through 183 at-bats, he’s slashing .295/.356 with six homers and 21 RBIs. Not elite numbers but consistent enough that Houston has to think twice about moving him. The guy won a Gold Glove in 2022 and was the World Series MVP that same year. That kind of playoff pedigree isn’t easy to replace.
The Bigger Picture in Houston
This has been a weird year for the Astros. They’re sitting at 42-40 going into the weekend, which is barely above .500 for a team that’s made the ALCS seven straight years. But here’s the thing: they’re only three games back in the AL West. The division is wide open. Seattle is leading but nobody in that group looks dominant.
So the front office has a real choice to make. Do they hold onto Pena and try to make another run? Or do they listen to offers and retool a bit? He’s under team control through 2027, so it’s not like they’re forced to deal him. But Atlanta reportedly has interest and the Braves are always aggressive at the deadline.
For now, the focus is on getting Pena healthy and back in the lineup. The Astros are 3-5 without him since he went on the IL, and the infield defense has taken a noticeable hit. Aledmys Diaz has filled in at short but he’s not the same defender.
Pena will get a few rehab games in with Sugar Land before Friday’s series opener in Arlington. If everything goes smoothly, he’ll be back at shortstop against the Rangers in what could be his last game before the deadline chatter really heats up. Or his first game as the guy Houston decided to build around for the second half.
Either way, July 10 is a date worth circling.
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