Carlos Correa Will Not Return To Astros This Season

The Houston Astros will have to pursue a postseason run without their star infielder. Manager Joe Espada informed reporters Tuesday, including Chandler Rome of The Athletic, that the 31-year-old veteran will not return to the active roster for the remainder of the year.

Ankle Recovery Demands Halt Postseason Comeback Bid

Correa has been sidelined since the beginning of May, when a freak batting practice accident tore a tendon in his left ankle. He subsequently underwent surgery and faced a return timeline of six to eight months. While initial expectations wrote off his entire season, recent weeks brought genuine optimism. By early August, Espada said Correa had been cleared to resume swinging a bat, and as of two days ago, per Rome, Correa was on the verge of heading out on a rehab assignment with a chance to return before the postseason. The Athletic’s Chandler Rome also reported Tuesday that Correa planned to return to the team’s spring training facility in Florida this week to meet with doctors and potentially receive clearance for a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land.

Espada clarified that the shutdown did not stem from a fresh injury recurrence or a specific setback. Instead, the manager said the “daily workload” and the “recoverybecame too much for the veteran shortstop, and that the rehab took a toll on his leg and ankle and created soreness. Espada told reporters,The most important thing for him now is to focus on next season.”

Before the injury, Correa appeared in 32 games for Houston, slashing .279/.369/.418 with three home runs and 16 RBI. The 31-year-old veteran is playing on a six-year, $200 million deal that he originally signed with the Minnesota Twins. Minnesota traded him back to Houston ahead of the 2025 trade deadline, and the Astros have two more years of Correa on their books, with four club options between 2029 and 2032. Correa has a history of ankle injuries, having had two free-agent megadeals with the San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets fall through due to concerns about his right ankle’s health, though this torn tendon is in his left ankle.

Defensive Experiments and Infield Logjam

Prior to the decision to shut down his rehab, the Astros were exploring ways to integrate Correa back into the lineup, including the possibility of placing him at second base. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic noted last week that if Correa was able to return, the team was considering putting him at second base. In 15 professional seasons, Correa has played shortstop and third base, but never appeared on the right side of the infield. As the Astros pondered how to align their defense if Correa returns in the final week, one possibility was using him at second, according to a person briefed on the team’s deliberations who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans that haven’t been announced. Correa, who turns 32 a week from Tuesday, said last week he has not taken ground balls at any position other than third base. Manager Joe Espada said Correa would play third upon his return, but the Astros, seeking to put together their best possible defense, viewed Correa as potentially a better solution at second than Jose Altuve or Isaac Paredes.

Here is how it would have worked: When Yordan Alvarez is in left field, the Astros would keep Paredes at third and Jeremy Peña at shortstop while playing Correa at second, Christian Walker at first and Altuve at DH. Peña and Correa would effectively give the Astros two shortstops up the middle, and the team was confident Correa’s baseball IQ would make him more viable at second than Paredes, who has limited experience at the position and is considered a liability there. Altuve, meanwhile, is minus-16 defensive runs saved this season at second, the worst of any player at that spot, and Espada has routinely removed Altuve late in games when the Astros are leading and replaced him with utilityman Nick Allen for defensive purposes. When Alvarez is the DH, Correa would be at third, Peña at short, Altuve at second and Paredes at first, potentially costing Walker playing time. Alvarez twisted his right ankle Thursday and was out of the lineup Friday, but his issue is not believed to be serious. In the final week, the Astros will play two games in Seattle and four in Sacramento — ballparks where left field is not particularly difficult.

That potential defensive experiment is now a moot point as Correa turns his attention to getting fully healthy for the 2027 season. Houston sits atop the AL West at 75-75, holding a one-game lead over the second-place Texas Rangers.

• Jeremy Peña at shortstop
• Isaac Paredes at third
• Jose Altuve at second
• Christian Walker at first
• Yordan Alvarez in the designated hitter spot most of the time

Offseason Roster Questions in Houston

With Correa officially ruled out for the year, the question of how to make all the pieces fit will continue into the offseason, as Peña and Paredes are under contract or under club control for 2027. The club could once again hold everyone and let inevitable injuries sort things out, just as Peña missed time in April with a hamstring strain. Here in 2026, it wasn’t known how the Astros would find playing time for everyone.

As of Tuesday, the Astros have a 75-75 record and a one-game lead over the Texas Rangers in the AL West. Houston will take on the Kansas City Royals starting Tuesday after being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend.