What looked like a possible late-season comeback for Carlos Correa has been shut down before it ever got off the ground.
Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that Correa will not play again this season, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The update comes after a month in which Correa’s progress had started to point toward a remarkable return in 2026, with the veteran infielder ramping up through full sprints, hitting, base running and fielding.
Correa’s road back began after he suffered a left ankle tendon injury on May 5 and had surgery to repair the peroneus brevis tendon on May 11. At the start of August, he said he had not ruled out a return, and the work he was putting in at the Astros facility in West Palm Beach only fueled the idea that rehab games might be next.
That momentum disappeared with Espada’s announcement.
There was no setback or re-injury involved, just the sheer strain of trying to return so far ahead of schedule. As Rome reported, the daily workload and recovery demands became “too much for Correa to handle.”
“The build-up on the last couple of days has really been kind of tough on his leg. It's created some soreness and stuff like that," Espada said according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
Correa had been dealing with soreness in the surgically repaired ankle while working out at the Spring Training Facility over the past week. The Astros have now decided to shut him down for the rest of the year and aim instead for a healthy return in 2027.
That was always a steep climb. The original recovery window was six-to-eight months, and Correa was trying to get back in just over three months from surgery. He turns 32 on Sept. 22 and has a history of injuries, which only made the challenge tougher.
He will return to Houston on Wednesday to be examined by doctors, per McTaggart. Houston had recently been exploring ways to get him back into the lineup, but if the Astros reach the postseason, the current infield is expected to stay as is.
Correa’s season ended with a .279 average, a .787 OPS, three homers and 16 RBI in 32 games. That was the fewest games he has ever played in a regular season.
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