Astros’ brutal collapse vs. Mariners comes with Jeremy Pena injury scare

The Houston Astros suffered a crushing blow against the Seattle Mariners, as the AL West clash ended in a stunning collapse and a fresh Jeremy Pena injury scare. Houston watched a 7-2 lead vanish into an 8-7 loss under the T-Mobile Park lights. Worse, the concern around Pena now lingers over an already battered roster. The Astros had control early as their bats delivered. Then, everything slipped. The Mariners surged late. The lead disappeared. And just like that, the night flipped from confidence to concern.

According to MLBTradeRumors’ Mark Polishuk, the Astros’ concern grew sharper when Pena exited in the fourth inning due to right posterior knee tightness. The issue first appeared a day earlier, but the shortstop admitted he stayed silent as it faded.

“I didn’t tell anybody, which I probably should have,” the Astros shortstop said. “I woke up today feeling pretty good, went into the game feeling really good, and then it tightened up on me.” The discomfort returned while he was on the bases. After advancing to third, he signaled to the dugout and trainers stepped in.

Astros face growing pressure after Jeremy Pena injury scare

Jeremy Pena downplayed the issue after the game, calling his exit a “precaution,” but added, “we’ll have a better understanding…after we get some imaging done.” That uncertainty matters. The Astros have already managed his workload after a prior finger injury earlier this year. Now, another issue threatens his rhythm at a critical stretch.

At the same time, the bigger picture adds pressure. The Mariners have taken two of four in this series. The Astros, meanwhile, is just 1-7 on the road. That cannot hold. Two games against Seattle still remain. The chance is there. So are the stakes.

The Astros still have depth with Carlos Correa and Isaac Paredes. However, depth only goes so far. Injuries keep piling up. Because of that, this loss feels heavier than one game. It feels like a warning. So now, with pressure rising, one question remains: can the Astros respond before the Mariners take full control of the series?

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