Joe Espada Reveals Astros Plan If Jeremy Peña Misses Opening Day

Jeremy Peña broke the tip of his right ring finger fielding a ground ball during a WBC exhibition game, and now the Houston Astros are preparing for the possibility their starting shortstop might not be ready when the season opens March 26.

Per a video posted by Foul Territory on X, manager Joe Espada addressed the situation directly, making clear the team has a plan in place if Peña needs more time to heal.

"We still don't know the status of Jeremy for opening day. But if the case is that he will need more time, Carlos Correa will step in and be our shortstop. And we all know how good of a shortstop Carlos Correa is. So once we get going here, we'll get Carlos some starts at shortstop."

Joe Espada says Carlos Correa will step in at shortstop if Jeremy Peña isn't ready for Opening Day. pic.twitter.com/m0hMSwc3l2
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 6, 2026

Peña, 28, was diagnosed with a fracture in the tip of his right ring finger and is set to be re-evaluated in two weeks. Coming off a career-best 2025 season, he slashed .304/.363/.477 with 17 home runs, 62 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases, earning his first All-Star selection and the team's MVP award.

With Houston opening March 26 against the Angels, the clock is already ticking.

Jeremy Peña Opening Day Status and the Astros Infield Plan

Houston Astros third baseman Carlos Correa — Carlos Correa | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Peña was back in camp and spoke to reporters, with MLB.com's Brian McTaggart posting his comments on X. The shortstop made his intentions clear.

"I don't know how it's going to heal, I don't know what the process is going to be like, but the goal is always to try to join the team for Opening Day."

Astros SS Jeremy Peña was back in Astros camp this morning and said the goal is to try to be ready by Opening Day:

"I don’t know how it’s going to heal, I don’t know what the process is going to be like, but the goal is always to try to join the team for Opening Day."
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) March 6, 2026

That fight is exactly what Astros fans expect from him. But Espada still has to plan for every scenario, and he made sure the roster is ready. He confirmed that Nick Allen would continue getting reps at short during camp, and that Isaac Paredes is ready to step in at third if needed.

"I continue to play Nick Allen at short. We have Isaac Paredes that can, will play third base, if that is the case. But we are, you know, we do have the players in camp to be able to sustain and be able to move forward as we wait for Jeremy."

The Astros front office spent a good chunk of the offseason debating whether to move Paredes to fix a crowded infield. Right now, that crowded infield is exactly what they need.

Correa at short, Paredes at third, and Allen available as a depth option gives Espada real flexibility. The two-week evaluation window will tell the Astros a lot, and so will how fast Peña heals.