Peña, reunited with mentor Correa, goes 3-for-5 in first game back

BOSTON -- In his first game after missing more than a month with a fractured rib, Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña had three singles in his first three at-bats in Friday night's 2-1 loss to the Red Sox in 10 innings at Fenway Park. He also came out of the game in the bottom of the 10th after he felt a cramp in his right hamstring.

Peña, who grew up in nearby Providence, R.I., said he felt as though he would be able to play in Saturday’s second game of the series, which was a sigh of relief for the Astros.

“I think I’ll play tomorrow,” he said. “Nothing is final yet. I don’t want to make a decision without talking to the staff, but [with] how I feel right now, I think I’ll be ready to go for tomorrow.”

Peña fractured a rib on his left side when he was hit by a pitch on June 27. He missed 27 games before returning to the leadoff spot in the order in Boston on Friday. He had three hits in the first four pitches he saw and wound up going 3-for-5. That included a fly out to left field in the 10th inning, when he felt the hamstring “grab” him on his swing.

“I was just trying to get through the at-bat and hit the fly ball and jogged to first,” he said. “I think it’s better to be safe. I feel great.”

Peña was the Astros’ best player in the first half of the season and made his first All-Star team, though his injury kept him from playing. He was slashing .322/.378/.489 with 11 homers, 40 RBIs and 15 stolen bases prior to the injury and had played in every game.

On Friday, his biggest test defensively came in the second when he went to his right and to one knee to field a grounder from Carlos Narváez before throwing him out at first.

“As far as baseball playing, I feel like I could play my game with no fear whatsoever,” Peña said, discussing his healed rib. “I feel like I could be aggressive. I don't need to tone back. I feel like I could dive, get up and make a play. That play felt good.”

Friday also marked Peña’s first game alongside Carlos Correa, the All-Star shortstop whom Peña replaced as the starter in Houston in 2022. The Astros reacquired Correa from the Twins in a blockbuster trade on Thursday and moved him to third base, where he started for the Astros on Friday.

Correa has been a mentor to Peña from Peña’s days in the Minor Leagues and the two continued to work out together while Correa was with the Twins.

“Carlos has been great for me from the jump,” Peña said. “To have him as a teammate, I never thought I’d see the day, but it’s possible. We worked throughout this offseason, and it’s awesome to have that guy next to you. You can pick his brain every single day, and he’s a competitor. He comes here to win, and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

Peña said that when he first heard the rumors that Correa could be returning, he told his parents what a great move it would be for him and the team. And when it actually happened?

“I was like, ‘Man, that’s awesome,’” Peña said. “I couldn’t wait to show up to the field and say ‘What’s up?’ We got some great pickups this Trade Deadline in Ramón [Urías], Jesús [Sánchez] and Carlos. We’re in a great spot.”