Jeremy Pena’s phenomenal season for the Houston Astros hit a speedbump at the end of June when a rib fracture sent him to the 10-day injured list.
But that couldn’t keep him off a much more exciting list, as a recently announced member of the American League All-Star Team.
That honor, announced this week, is Pena’s first-ever All-Star nod during his Major League Baseball career. The former University of Maine star shortstop exploded onto the professional scene in 2022 when he won the World Series MVP as a rookie along with a Gold Glove.
The 27-year-old from the Dominican Republic has been on a tear at the plate this season, and his batting average of .322 is good enough for third in the American League. He’s racked up 11 home runs and 40 RBIs so far this season.
His former coach at UMaine, Nick Derba, said in June that Pena has kept getting better.
“He has had better pitch selection this season,” Derba said. “He isn’t chasing [bad pitches] as much and he isn’t missing pitches he’s supposed to hit. He is doing everything that good hitters do.”
Pena spoke with MLB.com in late June about how a revamped swing and adjusted approach at the plate has helped him this season.
“I feel like the more you play this sport, the more you learn yourself,” Pena said at the time. “You learn your body, you know what works for you, you know what doesn’t work for you, and you build off of that. That’s something that I’ve been trying to stay locked in on —finding what works for me and sticking to it.”
The MLB All-Star Game will be held on July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. Pena has been named the backup shortstop for the American League. Astros general manager Dana Brown said earlier this week that there is an “outside chance” that Pena could be able to return from the injured list before the All-Star break, according to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome.
If unable to play, Pena could be replaced on the All-Star roster.
Pena was a career .305 hitter at UMaine, and was a third round draft choice of Houston in 2018. His father, Geronimo Pena, is a former Major League infielder.
