Astros Lose Peña, Imai to IL Amid Rough Road Trip

The Houston Astros continue to battle a growing list of injuries after placing shortstop Jeremy Peña and right-hander Tatsuya Imai on the injured list Monday, further testing the club’s depth during a difficult road stretch.

Peña was diagnosed with a Grade 1 right hamstring strain after experiencing tightness during Friday’s loss to the Seattle Mariners. Though he initially played through the discomfort and even attempted to return Saturday, he exited in the fourth inning before undergoing imaging Sunday. The 2024 All-Star has been a key piece of Houston’s lineup, following up last season’s standout campaign in which he hit .304 with 17 home runs, 62 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and an .840 OPS.

Meanwhile, Imai was sidelined due to arm fatigue after an abbreviated outing Friday in Seattle, where he threw just 37 pitches and recorded only one out. The right-hander returned to Houston for evaluation, adding to growing concerns surrounding the Astros’ pitching staff.

Houston’s rotation has been hit especially hard during its current 10-game road trip, with the team entering Monday’s series finale against Seattle with a 1-8 record. Imai joins a list of sidelined pitchers that includes Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier, both dealing with shoulder strains. Additionally, Cody Bolton exited Sunday’s game early with mid-back tightness.

With injuries piling up, Houston faces an uphill battle to stabilize both its lineup and rotation in the weeks ahead.