HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Astros star Carlos Correa will not return this season as the team chases a playoff berth, manager Joe Espada said Tuesday.
Correa had been working to make a comeback after undergoing left ankle surgery on May 11 that was expected to keep him out six to eight months.
It appeared this weekend that Correa was nearing a return and Espada said Sunday that he would likely play rehabilitation games for Triple-A Sugar Land this week.
Instead they decided to give up on Correa playing again this season and focus on being ready for spring training next year.
Espada said Correa didn’t experience a setback but rather that the ramping up of activity toward his return caused some inflammation in his ankle.
“It’s just the buildup and every day we did a little bit more around the bases, the swinging on the field, the just being on the spikes for such a long time, it just kind of flared up on him,” Espada said. “And I think the smart thing to do right now is for Carlos to focus on next season.”
The Astros entered Tuesday night’s game against the Royals one game ahead of the Texas Rangers in first place in the AL West.
Espada said it was unfortunate that Correa got so close to a return and wasn’t able to make it happen.
“Is it disappointing to know how hard he worked and it just came up short,” he said. “For me that’s the most disappointing part, that you know how much work he put into trying to get back and you see the light at the end of the road and the fact that we couldn’t get past the hours of work, the strain that caused to his ankle during his workouts, it’s sad.”
Espada said he didn't think Correa could return this year even if the Astros advanced deep into the postseason.
“We’re at a point where we have to be really smart about this,” he said. “It’s gotten to a point where it’s tough for him to get going. Like he wakes up in the morning and just to get him going it’s tough and we have to be cautious with this.”
Correa, who is back with the Astros after last summer’s blockbuster trade from the Twins, played third base for Houston last season with Jeremy Peña at shortstop. Before his injury this season he returned to shortstop while Peña was out with a hamstring injury.
Correa has salaries of $31.5 million this season, $30.5 million in 2027 and $30 million in 2028. As part of the trade, the Twins will pay the Astros $10 million each Dec. 15 from this year through 2028.
Correa was hitting .279 with three home runs and 16 RBIs this season. The No. 1 pick in the 2012 amateur draft, Correa spent his first seven seasons with the Astros before signing with the Twins where he spent 3 1/2 seasons before last summer’s trade.
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