Astros Lose All-Star Peña and Rookie Imai to Injuries

Hamstring strain and right arm fatigue sideline key players as Houston's injury woes continue

Apr. 13, 2026 at 7:27pm

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A fractured, cubist-style painting depicting the movements and actions of baseball players on a field, with sharp geometric shapes and planes of vibrant colors like blue, orange, and green, conceptually representing the challenges the Houston Astros are facing due to a rash of early-season injuries.Injuries to key players like All-Star shortstop Jeremy Peña have the Houston Astros struggling to find their footing early in the 2026 season.Houston Today

The Houston Astros have placed All-Star shortstop Jeremy Peña on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain and rookie right-hander Tatsuya Imai on the 15-day IL with right arm fatigue. The pair of moves are the latest blows to the Astros' roster, which has endured an abundance of injuries early in the season.

Why it matters

The Astros are off to a 1-8 start on their current road trip, and the loss of Peña and Imai will make it even harder for the team to turn things around and get back to the playoffs after winning the World Series last year. Peña's injury is especially concerning, as he was an All-Star in his rookie season in 2022.

The details

In corresponding moves, the Astros recalled right-hander J.P. France, left-hander Colton Gordon and infielder Shay Whitcomb from Triple-A Sugar Land. Right-hander Jayden Murray was optioned to Sugar Land after pitching two innings and allowing two earned runs in Sunday's game. Sunday's starter, Cody Bolton, left Sunday's 6-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners in the second inning because of mid-back tightness. Hunter Brown, who Bolton replaced in the rotation, was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain on April 5. Right-hander Cristian Javier was put on the IL on Friday because of a right shoulder strain.

  • Peña was placed on the 10-day IL on Monday, April 13, 2026.
  • Imai was placed on the 15-day IL on Monday, April 13, 2026.

The players

Jeremy Peña

The Astros' All-Star shortstop who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain.

Tatsuya Imai

The Astros' rookie right-handed pitcher who was placed on the 15-day injured list with right arm fatigue.

Joe Espada

The manager of the Houston Astros, who is trying to remain optimistic despite the team's rash of injuries.

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What they’re saying

“We'll get through this. But, I'm doing well. I just don't like when our players are injured. They work really hard in the offseason to come back in shape, and expectations are for us to go out there and perform and get back to the postseason, and this makes it tough to have our guys getting banged up. But, we'll fight through this.”

— Joe Espada, Manager, Houston Astros

What’s next

Espada said he hopes Peña's IL stint is not a long one, and that Imai will undergo more testing after returning to Houston.

The takeaway

The Astros' injury woes have continued to pile up early in the 2026 season, with the losses of All-Star shortstop Jeremy Peña and rookie right-hander Tatsuya Imai the latest blows. Manager Joe Espada is trying to remain optimistic, but the team's 1-8 road trip and rash of injuries have made it a challenging start to the year as they look to return to the playoffs.