Astros’ Jeremy Peña to go on IL, weakening a top-heavy offense

HOUSTON — For the second time in the season’s first three months, Houston Astros shortstop and leadoff hitter Jeremy Peña is headed to the injured list with a lower leg injury.

Peña has a left calf strain that, according to manager Joe Espada, should require a “hopefully minimum stint” on the IL. Earlier this season, Peña missed 32 games with a right hamstring strain.

It is unclear when Peña sustained his calf injury. He played shortstop for all 10 innings of Sunday’s 7-5 win against the Detroit Tigers, reached base once and never appeared in any obvious discomfort. Peña was not available for comment before or after Monday’s 5-4 loss against the Minnesota Twins.

Prior to the game, Espada said Peña reported to the ballpark with “left leg discomfort,” which kept him out of the starting lineup. Peña underwent testing with team doctors on Monday afternoon, Espada said.

Losing Peña will weaken an already top-heavy Astros offense while interrupting an impressive, albeit injury-riddled season from the 28-year-old shortstop. Peña fractured the tip of his right ring finger in March, and though he didn’t require a trip to the injured list, was still limited in his availability at the beginning of the season.

Since returning from his hamstring strain on May 18, Peña slashed .307/.372/.471 in 156 plate appearances. The Astros averaged 4.6 runs per game across that stretch and went 23-15, vaulting themselves into playoff contention after a catastrophic start to the season.

Now they must maintain it without Peña.

Nick Allen, the glove-first utilityman who started in Peña’s stead on Monday night, should get most of the run at shortstop in his absence. Brice Matthews could also factor in, but like Allen, doesn’t profile as an offensive force. Matthews is striking out 32.7 percent of the time with a .566 OPS. Second baseman Jose Altuve, who should replace Peña atop the Astros’ batting order, must find a way to raise an OPS that currently sits at .690.

Few players on Houston’s 26-man roster can match Peña’s offensive production, putting the onus on American League MVP candidate Yordan Alvarez, first baseman Christian Walker and third baseman Isaac Paredes to sustain their productive seasons.

Alvarez, though, is mired in his first slump of his marvelous season: an 0-for-16 rut that furthered with an 0-for-3 showing on Monday. Alvarez, who took a rare few rounds of early batting practice on Monday afternoon, has gone hitless in his past five games. It is his longest stretch without a hit all season.

Presuming Espada’s prognosis is accurate, Peña could return from the 10-day injured list prior to the Astros’ final first-half series: a pivotal three-game set in Arlington against the American League West-leading Texas Rangers.