Astros All-Star Isn’t ‘Plug-In Guy’ Even After Jeremy Pena’s Injury

The Houston Astros are charting a path forward without shortstop Jeremy Peña, who had to pull out of the World Baseball Classic after suffering an injury.

He suffered a fracture in his right ring finger after fielding a hard ground ball for the Dominican Republic on Wednesday. For now, he’s on the shelf. He’ll be re-evaluated in two weeks, but his status for opening day is now in question.

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The Astros are working on various contingency plans. They may not have been able to do it without Isaac Paredes. The oft-discussed trade target is still a part of the team and part of the plan, according to manager Joe Espada during an appearance on Foul Territory on Friday.

Isaac Paredes’ Path Forward with Astros

"I don't see Paredes as a plug-in. This guy is an All-Star."

Joe Espada feels confident in his ability to get enough at-bats for guys involved in the infield logjam. pic.twitter.com/o7huw6LvXA
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 6, 2026

To Espada, this is the exact reason you don’t trade a player like Paredes unless you get the right return. One never knows what will happen.

“This is what Dana [Astros GM Brown] and I have talking about, not only to our players but messaging to our fans and the media — injuries would happen,” Espada said. “We learned that last. I don’t see Paredes as a plug-in guy. This is an All-Star, this guy is an everyday player, and they all need to be in the lineup. We’re going to find a space for these guys.”

With Peña out, the lineup card could be relatively simple for Espada, should the injury linger into the regular season. He can move Carlos Correa from third base to shortstop temporarily and then start Paredes at third base, which is where he played last year before his serious hamstring injury took him out for two months and led to the Correa trade.

So what happens when Peña returns? One assumes that Correa would move back to third base, Peña would start at shortstop and Paredes would have no regular place to play. Espada said he’ll look for ways to get all these players in the lineup. But it will be a challenge for the third-year manager to juggle all this talent.

Paredes still signed a contract with the Astros for $9.35 million for 2026 with a $13.5 million team option for 2027. The option could be a carrot for a trade partner that is hoping to keep him around for another season.

He’s also a talented hitter. Even with a career slash of .237/.337/.429 he has 92 home runs and 287 RBI. He’s been to the All-Star Game each of the last two seasons — with the Chicago Cubs in 2024 and with Houston last year. He slashed .254/.352/.458 with 20 home runs and 53 RBI in 102 games, most of which happened before his injury.