The Houston Astros' brutal start to the season just got tougher. As the team limps home from a dismal 1-8 road trip, they've been forced to place two more key players on the injured list, deepening an early-season crisis.

All-Star shortstop Jeremy Peña, a defensive anchor and clutch hitter, heads to the 10-day IL with a hamstring strain. He's joined by rookie pitcher Tatsuya Imai, who was placed on the 15-day IL with right arm fatigue. For a club already sitting in last place, these are significant blows to a roster that can't seem to catch a break.

Manager Joe Espada is putting on a brave face, repeatedly stating he's "doing well" in the face of the adversity. "We’ll get through this," Espada insisted. "I just don’t like when our players are injured. They work really hard... and expectations are for us to go out there and perform and get back to the postseason. This makes it tough, but we’ll fight through this."

The hope is that Peña's stint will be brief, while Imai will undergo further evaluation back in Houston. To fill the sudden gaps, the Astros have called up a trio from Triple-A Sugar Land: right-hander J.P. France, lefty Colton Gordon, and infielder Shay Whitcomb.

These moves are just the latest in a devastating string of pitching injuries. The rotation has been hit especially hard, with Cristian Javier (shoulder) and Hunter Brown (shoulder) already on the shelf. The situation grew more dire Sunday when spot-starter Cody Bolton exited early with mid-back tightness.

Despite the mounting casualties, Espada is clinging to optimism, emphasizing the need for the healthy players to step up. "We got the healthy bodies. They’ll be here," he said. "We’re going through a tough little stretch here... Through seasons, you go through some good stretches and bad stretches, and you got to put those behind you. We’ll get through this." For the Astros, navigating this injury storm is the first and most critical test of their 2024 campaign.