It felt like, for most of the season, the Houston Astros' lineup was hanging by a thread. Christian Walker had disappointed. Yordan Alvarez was away on an injured list odyssey. Jose Altuve's age was beginning to show. And there was nary a left-handed bat to be found.
Two bright spots existed, however. Jeremy Peña was a breakout star, and Isaac Paredes proved he'd perform just as expected as a picture-perfect fit for the Crawford Boxes. Then disaster appeared to strike when Peña went on the IL on June 30 with a fractured rib. The injury wasn't supposed to keep him out super long, but any time without the club's offensive engine put it in a perilous spot.