Carlos Correa was scratched from last night’s game following an injury to his ankle in batting practice. As it turns out, that will be the last time that Correa is seen on the field this season in an Astros uniform. Correa suffered ligament damage in his ankle and will have surgery. According to reports, he will be out six to eight months following the surgery.
The Astros have called up Shay Whitcomb to take his place on the active roster. Presumably, this means that Isaac Paredes will become the everyday third baseman and Jeremy Pena will slot into the shortstop position when he returns from the injured list. The injury is another crushing blow in a season that has seen a number of things go wrong for the Astros.
In particular, this is a devasting injury for Correa as he had a good road trip and seemed to be settling in as the new leadoff hitter and team leader. Nick Allen took his place at shortstop last night and will continue to play there until Pena returns from the injured list. Reportedly, Pena is ready to begin a minor league rehab assignment this weekend.
As for the Astros, this takes a bit of wind out of their sails even though they are 4-4 in their last eight games. They will finish off with the Dodgers this evening and then begin a seven day road trip against the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. Those seven games will go a long way in determining whether the Astros will remain in the hunt or fall further behind in the standings.
