Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (thumb) took some swings in the batting cage ahead of the team's matchup against the New York Mets on Tuesday. It marked the first time he'd swung the bat since injuring his left thumb about a week ago. He went through some fielding drills on Tuesday as well. He spoke to the media after his workouts and said that everything went well. The 24-year-old doesn't have a clear timetable for a return at this moment, but it's hard to imagine he'll be out much longer, assuming he has no setbacks. The rookie has slashed .277/.333/.471 with nine home runs, six stolen bases, 27 RBI and 27 runs over 54 games this year.

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena is not in the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners. The rookie shortstop has cooled down in the last few weeks, but he's still hitting a solid .278/.332/.466 on the year with eight home runs, 25 RBI, 23 runs scored and four stolen bases in 194 plate appearances over his first 49 major league games. Aledmys Diaz is getting the start at shortstop on Wednesday and is batting seventh against Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert. In a tough matchup against one of the best young arms in baseball, Diaz will be a low-upside DFS play. He's hitting .233/.282/.330 with three long balls and 14 RBI in 103 at-bats for Houston this year.

Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker and shortstop Jeremy Pena are both out of the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Cleveland Guardians. Jose Siri will replace Tucker in right field and hit ninth, while Aledmys Diaz is getting the start at shortstop and batting sixth on Wednesday against Guardians right-hander Cal Quantrill. Tucker has been better in the month of May, hitting .257/.389/.487 with four homers, 14 RBI and seven stolen bases in 22 games. Pena, meanwhile, has been lights-out so far in his rookie season, slashing .293/.347/.504 with an .851 OPS, seven home runs, 22 RBI, 21 runs scored and three stolen bases in 38 games played. Diaz and Siri will be low-cost deep-sleeper plays in DFS on Wednesday.

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (knee) is back in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against Nathan Eovaldi and the Boston Red Sox. He will be batting seventh. The 24-year-old was held out for each of the last four games due to right knee soreness. Aledmys Diaz and Mauricio Dubon covered shortstop while Pena was out. Pena is off to a great start to his rookie year, slashing .276/.339/.514 with six home runs, 20 RBI and 18 runs over 30 games.

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (knee) remains out of the starting lineup on Monday against the Boston Red Sox. Pena has been out of action since last Thursday due to a sore right knee, although he did have an on-field workout before the game on Monday. Aledmys Diaz has started at shortstop since Pena's knee issue cropped up, but the recently acquired Mauricio Dubon will man the 6 on Monday and hit ninth against Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock. It's unclear if Pena will require a trip to the injured list, but he's had a very solid MLB debut so far in 2022, slashing .276/.339/.514 with an .853 OPS, six home runs, 20 RBI, 18 runs scored and a stolen base in his first 30 MLB games.

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (knee) is out of the starting lineup once again on Sunday as the team takes on Patrick Corbin and the Washington Nationals. This will be his third straight missed game after suffering a knee injury in Thursday's game. Aledmys Diaz will be making his third consecutive start at shortstop for Sunday's contest. Pena has had a fantastic rookie year for the Astros so far. Over 30 games, he's slashing .276/.339/.514 with six home runs, 20 RBI and 18 runs. He remains day-to-day for now. We'll see if he can make it back to the field for Monday's series opener against the Boston Red Sox.

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (knee) remains out of the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Washington Nationals. He exited early during Thursday's game due to knee discomfort and hasn't played since then. At the moment, the Astros are considering Pena day-to-day. This doesn't sound like something that will require a trip to the injured list, but fantasy managers should stay tuned for more updates. Aledmys Diaz will cover shortstop and bat seventh versus righty Erick Fedde on Saturday.

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker said that shortstop Jeremy Pena (knee) probably will not play on Friday in the series opener against the Washington Nationals. Pena left the game against the Minnesota Twins early due to discomfort in his right knee, and fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. With Aledmys Diaz also dealing with an undisclosed injury, it'll likely be Niko Goodrum as the team's starting shortstop on Friday against the Nats. The 24-year-old has done his best to fill the shoes of Carlos Correa, who departed for Minnesota in free agency. Pena is hitting .245/.318/.490 with an .808 OPS, six home runs, 17 RBI, 17 runs scored and a stolen base in his first 28 major league games, so fantasy managers are hoping he can avoid a trip to the injured list.

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena is getting the day off on Wednesday as the team takes on Matt Brash and the Seattle Mariners. Aledmys Diaz will be covering shortstop and batting seventh in the game. Pena has been a solid contributor for the Astros' offense this year. Over 23 games, he's slashing .229/.301/.470 with five home runs, 14 RBI and 14 runs scored. The rookie has recorded a barrel on 10 of his 62 batted balls, good for a 16.1% barrel rate that ranks in the 91st percentile. His .263 xBA and .566 xSLG suggest there's plenty of room for growth in his slash line. The positional depth at shortstop makes him a bit tough to roster in some standard leagues, but in AL-only leagues and extra deep leagues, he's a borderline must-roster player at this point.