Before yesterday’s game with the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros manager Joe Espada told the media that 3B Carlos Correa would not be returning to the team this season.
This came as a bit of a surprise, considering the amount of information and conversation coming from the Astros and from Correa directly as he ramped up his rehab to make a return this season. Correa had been very transparent about wanting to return, and working hard to rejoin his teammates. The Astros had weekly updates on Correa’s
progress and he recently was doing baseball activities in Florida to get ready for a rehab assignment this week with the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys.
Correa was set to meet with doctors earlier this week before going out for the Space Cowboys final week of the season. Apparently it didn’t even get that far.
Today, the Astros revealed why Correa’s attempts to rejoin the team were thwarted. From the Astros:
IF Carlos Correa (lt. ankle tendon injury) will not return to the active roster in 2026. Correa spent last week rehabbing at the Astros Florida complex and during the ramp-up process he experienced soreness in his surgically repaired ankle. He will return to Houston this week to be medically re-evaluated.
There is always a chance of setbacks during rehab, and unfortunately, Correa’s ankle just didn’t respond well enough to his ramping up baseball activity in preparation for a rehab assignment.
