Inside the Astros

Houston Astros Promote Triple-A Hitting Coach Pena

Rafael Pena was promoted to the Houston Astros minor league hitting coordinator position.

Kenny Van Doren

Houston Astros Promote Triple-A Hitting Coach Pena
Houston Astros Promote Triple-A Hitting Coach Pena /
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The Houston Astros made a change to their staff Sunday, promoting Triple-A Sugar Land hitting coach Rafael Pena to minor league hitting coordinator, Astros Dominican Summer League hitting coach Elvis Rodriguez announced. 

Pena started his professional coaching career in 2018 as a development coach with the Quad Cities River Bandits — where he was a hitting coach in 2019. He was the Space Cowboys hitting coach for just one season after spending the previous year in Double-A Corpus Christi's dugout for the same position.

Before becoming a coach, the Dominican-native hit .400 in his senior season at University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, playing himself into All-Sooner Athletic Conference honors as a utility player.

Pena was appointed the hitting coach of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers in 2020, but the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He made the jump to Double-A the next season, joining the Glendale Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League for October and November.

Around the Farm

Former Astros farmhand C.J. Hinojosa signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins, receiving a Major League spring training invite, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Hinojosa joins former Sugar Land teammate Alex De Goti in Jacksonville.

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Kenny Van Doren
KENNY VAN DOREN

Kenny Van Doren is a writer for FanNation's 'Inside the Astros,' part of Sports Illustrated. Kenny formerly covered the Astros for Climbing Tal's Hill of FanSided. Kenny also attends the University of Missouri where he studies journalism. 

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