Houston Astros manager Joe Espada confirmed to reporters on Tuesday that shortstop Carlos Correa will not return this season.
Correa has been sidelined since the beginning of May due to an ankle injury. When the injury occurred, it was expected to sideline him for the remainder of the season.
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In early August, however, Espada said that Correa had been cleared to resume swinging a bat. The shortstop was expected to go out on a rehab assignment in the near future, with a chance to return before the postseason.
Espada reiterated that Correa has not suffered a setback or another injury that is now preventing him from returning this year. Instead, the manager said that the “daily workload” and the “recovery” became too much for the veteran shortstop.
Correa had been cleared for swinging and had begun taking ground balls at second base. Houston was trying to find a way to get him back into the lineup alongside Jeremy Pena at shortstop and Isaac Paredes at third, both of Correa’s typical positions in his career so far.
Correa initially tore a tendon in his ankle in a freak batting practice accident. Before the injury, he played in 32 games for Houston. The shortstop was slashing .279/.369/.418 with three home runs and 16 RBI.
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The 31-year-old veteran is currently playing under a six-year, $200 million deal with the Minnesota Twins. Minnesota traded him back to Houston ahead of the 2025 trade deadline. The Astros have two more years of Correa on their books, and Houston has four club options it can choose to pick up between 2029 and 2032.
Correa has a history of ankle injuries. He had two free-agent mega deals with the San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets that fell through due to concerns about his ankle’s health. Those were about his right ankle, though; this torn tendon is in the shortstop’s left ankle.
As of Tuesday, Houston has a 75-75 record and has a one-game lead over the Texas Rangers in the AL West. Correa will now turn his attention to getting fully healthy for the 2027 season.
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