Just days before their first WBC game, the Dominican Republic’s infield took a major hit when shortstop Jeremy Peña suffered an injury after reportedly fracturing the tip of his right ring finger. One of Peña’s Dominican teammates has just weighed in on the situation. His comment could potentially change how the injury is being viewed. And if there’s any truth to it, the Astros might once again find themselves facing questions over yet another ethical controversy.

“Where did all that come from? Houston’s wilding right now. In reality, he’s good! They probably just don’t want him playing. But he’ll be back here soon, and when he returns, he’s going to make a real impact for the team,” Masterflip quoted Geraldo Perdomo.

Perdomo has just accused the Astros of ghosting the Dominican Republic over Peña’s situation. According to him, the story about Peña leaving the exhibition game after the third inning with what seemed like a minor injury doesn’t fully add up. He even suggested there might be more to it. Possibly, the Astros may not want to release Peña for the WBC in the first place.

Although he did say he believes Peña will eventually return to the Dominican Republic camp. Still, the claims he made are bound to stir up plenty of debate.

And honestly, the Astros’ tension with the WBC isn’t exactly new. If you remember, back in the 2023 WBC, José Altuve fractured his right thumb during the tournament. That injury kept him out for the first 43 games that season. Result? This year, both Altuve and Carlos Correa are already missing the tournament after not being cleared by the insurance provider.

Because of that history, Perdomo suspects the Astros could be trying something similar with Peña. Possibly keeping him out to make sure their roster doesn’t take on the extra workload from the WBC. From a team perspective, that concern isn’t completely surprising either, especially considering how valuable Peña has been defensively, posting 5 DRS and 8 OAA at shortstop last season.

That said, there’s still plenty of uncertainty around the situation. The latest injury updates even suggest Peña could miss the Astros’ opening games of the regular season. Thus, the whole situation is a bit harder to read.

Peña’s injury could take a toll on the Astros as well

While the Dominican Republic is dealing with Jeremy Peña’s injury, and the Astros are being called out as if they’re somehow benefiting from the situation, the reality is different. The Astros could end up feeling the impact, too, if the recovery takes longer than expected.

Reportedly, the Astros’ medical staff plans to reevaluate Peña in about two weeks. And if he isn’t ready by Opening Day, the team might need to alter the entire infield roster they have planned for 2025.

On the Dominican side, though, the team seems well prepared to handle Peña’s absence. Perdomo is expected to step in at shortstop, and he sounds completely comfortable with the role.

“I feel great. I’m here to do my job, I’m having a blast doing it, and I’m not stressing about carrying the load at short,” Perdomo said.

For the Astros, however, things could get a bit more complicated. That’s part of the reason why the idea that the Astros might be faking Peña’s injury feels a little hard to believe.