Carlos Correa

Carlos Correa Leaves Game With Back Discomfort

By Connor Byrne | August 19, 2019 at 11:09pm CDT

The Astros defeated the Tigers on Monday to improve to 80-46, but the World Series hopefuls didn’t escape unscathed. Star shortstop Carlos Correa left the game with discomfort in his back, the team announced. Manager A.J. Hinch said afterward Correa’s day-to-day, but he admitted: “I don’t like it. It’s not comfortable.” (Twitter links via Mark Berman of Fox 26).

Hinch’s trepidation stems from the fact that back issues have been a past problem for Correa, who missed over a month last summer because of them. With this year’s playoffs just around the corner, a similar absence would be cutting things awfully close for Houston. Plus, the Astros just lost fellow shortstop option Aledmys Diaz to the injured list Sunday, though they’ve passed plenty of tests without him and Correa this season. Both players have spent weeks on the IL to this point, yet the Astros still own what should be an insurmountable eight-game lead in the AL West.

Correa previously suffered a fractured rib in a massage gone wrong May 28, causing him to sit out until July 26. While the Astros managed an impressive 31-19 record during that span, it’s obvious they aren’t at the height of their considerable powers without Correa. The 24-year-old has been brilliant over 310 plate appearances this season, slashing .278/.358/.556 with 19 home runs and 2.9 fWAR.

Astros To Activate Carlos Correa, Designate Tony Kemp For Assignment

By Steve Adams | July 25, 2019 at 12:42pm CDT

The Astros will designate second baseman/outfielder Tony Kemp for assignment tomorrow in order to open a roster spot for Carlos Correa, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic tweets. Correa is set to return from the 60-day injured list after missing two months due to a broke rib.

Entering the season, the roster status of Kemp and Tyler White were both in question. Both players are out of minor league options and were rumored to be possible trade candidates as a result, but Houston opted to carry each on the roster for the first two thirds of the season. White, however, was designated for assignment recently and is reportedly headed to the Dodgers in a trade. Kemp, too, will lose his roster spot and now seems a logical candidate to be included in a trade for pitching help in the next six days.

Kemp, 27, has turned in a .227/.308/.417 batting line with seven homers, six doubles, two triples and four stolen bases in 186 trips to the plate so far in 2019. He’s a relatively high-contact hitter (career 16 percent strikeout rate) with a bit of speed and pop who is capable of handling second base and left field. His lack of minor league options may limit his appeal among some contending clubs, but the fact that he’s controlled for another four seasons will surely hold appeal to rebuilding clubs. It’s also possible that a contending team such as the Cubs, who are looking for a contact-oriented bat and recently optioned Addison Russell, could be intrigued by Kemp’s skill set.

The decision to cut ties with Kemp is seemingly a vote of confidence in the younger Myles Straw, who can occupy a similar role with a similar skill set moving forward. Straw has batted .256/.376/.321 in 94 plate appearances with the Astros this season and is capable of playing shortstop, second base or the outfield. Unlike Kemp, he also has minor league options remaining, which gives the Astros some additional roster fluidity down the stretch. Houston’s ability to manipulate its roster has been somewhat limited this season by virtue of carrying a pair of out-of-options players, but that won’t be the case any longer.

The return of Correa, of course, is a major boon to a lineup that already ranks as one of the game’s most fearsome. The former No. 1 overall draft pick was excelling to the tune of a .295/.360/.547 batting line and 11 home runs through 214 plate appearances at the time he suffered one of the most bizarre injuries of any player in recent memory. Correa sustained a broken rib while receiving a massage at his home, and the injury ultimately cost him 50 games of his season.

Latest On Carlos Correa, Aledmys Díaz

By Dylan A. Chase | July 20, 2019 at 11:56pm CDT

Astros manager A.J. Hinch provided optimistic updates today concerning the respective returns of infielders Carlos Correa and Aledmys Diaz. The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan reports that, according to Hinch, Correa has “looked great” in his rehab assignment thus far and is on track to be activated for this coming Friday’s game against the Cardinals (link); meanwhile, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart relays that Diaz is likely to return from his own rehab stint in the “next couple of days”(link).

Entering Saturday, Correa and Diaz have missed 45 games each since both were sidelined in a May 26th contest against the Red Sox. Correa, who had been enjoying a .295/.360/.547 season when he landed on the shelf, suffered a rib injury serious enough to warrant placement on the 60-day IL; if Correa does indeed make it back for Hinch’s Friday target date, he will have spent the minimum 60 days out of action.

Diaz, acquired in an offseason deal in exchange for starter Trent Thornton, was also off to a fine start to 2019 before tweaking his left hamstring. In reflection of his multi-positional role with the big club, the Swiss army man has been working at first base, left field, and second base with AAA Round Rock and AA Corpus Christi.

Of course, the Astros have managed to maintain an upper hand on the AL West in the absence of these key players, with a 27-18 record since Correa and Diaz went down on May 26th. At 62-37, they hold a 5.5-game lead over the Athletics in this year’s divisional race.

Carlos Correa, Aledmys Díaz To Begin Rehab Assignments On Monday

By Dylan A. Chase | July 13, 2019 at 6:33pm CDT

According to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, Houston Astros infielders Carlos Correa and Aledmys Diaz will both begin minor league rehab assignments with the club’s AAA Round Rock affiliate on Monday (Twitter link). That the two up-the-middle players would begin rehab assignments simultaneously is fitting, considering that both have been sidelined with injuries since a May 26th matchup against the Boston Red Sox.

Correa had been off to a nice start in 2019 after a down campaign last year, posting an excellent 140 wRC+ (.295 /.360/.547 slash line) in his first 50 games before being felled by a rib injury. As The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan points out, Correa’s assignment to Round Rock projects to be a slightly lengthy one, as his recent placement on the 60-day IL renders him ineligible to return to the Astros until July 26th at the earliest (Twitter link).

In Diaz, however, the Astros should be able to soon welcome back a capable Correa fill-in. Acquired in an offseason trade with the Blue Jays in exchange for Trent Thornton, Diaz has mostly served in something of a Marwin Gonzalez-esque role for the ’Stros, logging time at all four infield spots and in left field in 2019. If he is able to return from his hamstring injury in time for Houston’s upcoming July 19th homestand, as Kaplan expects, Diaz and Myles Straw would represent two respectable options to hold down short until Correa’s return.

Astros Activate Joe Smith, Move Carlos Correa To 60-Day IL

By Jeff Todd | July 12, 2019 at 4:18pm CDT

The Astros have activated righty Joe Smith for the first time this season, per a club announcement. He’ll take the spot of Cy Sneed, who was optioned down.

To create 40-man space, shortstop Carlos Correa was bumped to the 60-day IL. Correa will not be eligible to return before the end of the month, though he was not expected to be ready by that point anyway. He’s said to be nearing a rehab assignment as his fractured rib recovers.

Smith has been sidelined all year after suffering an Achilles tear over the offseason. It’s anyone’s guess what he’ll be able to contribute, but the ’Stros have good cause to find out. The 35-year-old sidearmer is due $8MM this season. He was a solid contributor in 2018, when he turned in 45 2/3 innings of 3.74 ERA ball with 9.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.

Lone Star Notes: Correa, Diaz, Bregman, Pence, Smith

By Connor Byrne | July 12, 2019 at 1:04am CDT

Major League Baseball’s two Texas-based teams officially got the second half of the season underway Thursday. Led by another terrific performance from right-hander Lance Lynn, who struck out 11 in seven shutout innings, the Rangers coasted to a 5-0 victory over the Astros. Both teams’ rosters were missing some key components because of injuries. Here’s the latest on a handful of those players…

Astros shortstop Carlos Correa and infielder Aledmys Diaz could start rehab assignments next week, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. A fractured rib sent Correa to the injured list May 27, halting a great start to the season for the 24-year-old star. Diaz (left hamstring strain) went to the IL the same day as Correa. Their absences have had significant consequences for a few of the Astros’ other infielders. With neither Correa nor Diaz around to man short, the Astros have often turned to franchise third baseman Alex Bregman, leaving the hot corner for first baseman Yuli Gurriel and first for Tyler White.
Speaking of Bregman, he departed in the third inning Thursday after a hard grounder off the bat of Shin-Soo Choo took an unkind hop and struck Bregman in the chin. Bregman left the field bloodied and received four stitches, manager A.J. Hinch said (via McTaggart). It’s unclear whether Bregman will sit out any time going forward. The club replaced him at short with Myles Straw.
Rangers designated hitter/outfielder Hunter Pence restarted a rehab assignment at the Double-A level Thursday, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports. Pence played DH and will likely do the same Friday. After that, the Rangers hope to activate him over the weekend, per manager Chris Woodward. The 36-year-old Pence’s renaissance season came to a pause when he hit the IL on June 17 with a Grade 2 right groin strain. Pence then suffered a setback in his first rehab game July 1, causing the team to briefly shut him down.
More from McTaggart, who writes that reliever Joe Smith could rejoin the Astros’ bullpen as early as Sunday if he doesn’t incur any setbacks in the meantime. The 35-year-old right-hander has spent the past several months working back from the ruptured left Achilles tendon he suffered in a December workout. Smith, who’s in the last season of a two-year, $15MM contract, logged a 3.74 ERA with 9.07 K/9 and 2.36 BB/9 across 45 2/3 innings in 2018.

Carlos Correa Diagnosed With Fractured Rib

By Jeff Todd | May 29, 2019 at 4:45pm CDT

4:45pm: Correa has issued a statement on the injury, which occurred off the field (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan):

“I’m extremely disappointed about not being on the field with my teammates. I sustained the rib fracture during a massage at my home on Tuesday. To sustain an injury in such an unusual way makes it even more frustrating. However, I will work hard to get back on the field as quickly as possible to help our team achieve our goal of winning another championship.”

10:57am: Astros star Carlos Correa has been diagnosed with a fractured rib, Mark Berman of FOX 26 reported (via Twitter) and the team has since announced. He’s expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks and will obviously be headed for a stint on the injured list.

It’s a disappointing development for the Houston organization and its 24-year-old shortstop, who had hoped for a fully healthy season on the heels of an injury-limited 2018 campaign. Fortunately, it does not appear this issue is connected to the back and oblique issues Correa experienced last year.

Correa had looked himself in the first fifty games of the new year. Through 214 plate appearances, he carries a hefty .295/.360/.547 batting line with 11 home runs — good for a 143 wRC+.

The injury doesn’t change Correa’s revived outlook at the plate, but it will again impact his earning power. He took down a $5MM salary after winning an arbitration hearing against the ’Stros. That’s a nice start, but not the kind of scratch he’d have commanded with a typical and healthy platform season. Missing time this year will similarly limit his ability to build up a raise in his second (and second-to-last) season of arb eligibility.

Correa joins fellow stars George Springer and Jose Altuve on the injured list. Notably, reserve infielder Aledmys Diaz is also sidelined, creating some obvious challenges in the middle infield.

This being the Astros, there are still ample possibilities on hand. Alex Bregman would be a superstar at shortstop had he not been bumped to third base due to Correa, so he can slide over. The team can shift Yuli Gurriel to third, but after that it’ll need to rely on less-established players.

Infielder/outfielder Myles Straw has been summoned from Triple-A to take the open roster spot. He has played almost exclusively as an outfielder as a professional, but began spending time at shortstop this year at Triple-A. Straw and the just-promoted Jack Mayfield could share time at second base and chip in on the left side of the infield.

Both those players have a good case for a chance at the majors, though it’d be unreasonable to expect them to fill the shoes of Correa and Altuve. Houston GM Jeff Luhnow said he’d at least take a look at the external options, as MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart tweets, though he noted that he’s comfortable with the organization’s overall middle-infield depth.

Injury Notes: Astros, Lyles, Vincent, Reid-Foley

By Steve Adams | May 28, 2019 at 8:52pm CDT

Astros stars Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa are both being evaluated by the team’s medical staff for potential injuries, the team told reporters Tuesday (Twitter links via Jake Kaplan of The Athletic). Altuve was already on the injured list but reported feeling fatigue and soreness his right leg after playing minor league rehab games on consecutive days. That’s all the more notable given that Altuve underwent right knee surgery following the 2018 season. As for Correa, he was scratched from tonight’s lineup due to discomfort in his ribs and is being evaluated back in Houston. President of baseball operations Jeff Luhnow downplayed the potential for a serious issue, however, stating that he doesn’t expect either issue to be a long-term problem (Twitter link via the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome). It’s possible that either could be out “a couple weeks,” per Luhnow, although obviously an exact timeline is impossible to gauge until the medical staff has completed its tests.

Some more injury notes from around the league…

The Pirates announced that right-hander Jordan Lyles exited tonight’s game due to hamstring discomfort. Lyles has been one of the best one-year signings of this past offseason, but he struggled through a second straight rough Tuesday, surrendering three runs on three hits and a pair of walks in four innings of work. Though his last two outings haven’t been sharp, Lyles still boasts a 3.09 ERA, 9.1 K/, 3.1 BB/9, 0.81 HR/9 and a 43.1 percent ground-ball rate in 55 1/3 innings. The Pirates have placed Jameson Taillon, Chris Stratton and Keone Kela on the injured list in May. If he requires a trip to the IL, the Bucs could turn back to top prospect Mitch Keller, who was recalled for a spot start yesterday but optioned back today.
Giants right-hander Nick Vincent exited tonight’s game with trainers, and The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly notes (via Twitter) that Vincent was motioning toward his neck/collarbone area as he departed the game. He’s been used heavily by the Giants, frequently pitching two- or more innings at a time. Prior to the 2019 season, Vincent had never thrown more than 64 2/3 innings in a Major League season, but he’s already up to 30 2/3 frames on the year. Correlation certainly doesn’t equate to causation in this instance, but the uptick in workload is at least worth a mention. Vincent looked like a potential trade chip less than three weeks ago, as he had a 2.25 ERA and a 25-to-6 K/BB ratio in 24 innings back on May 10. Since then, he’s surrendered 13 runs in his past four appearances — a span of just 6 2/3 innings.
It appears there’s some concern regarding young Blue Jays right-hander Sean Reid-Foley, as Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com tweets that Reid-Foley exited Tuesday’s start for Triple-A Buffalo in what looked to be “a lot of discomfort.” The former second-round pick loaded the bases and walked in a run before exiting the game with a member of the Bisons’ training staff. Reid-Foley has had a tough season in Buffalo so far, entering play Tuesday with a 6.60 ERA through 45 inning of work. To his credit, he’s picked up 50 strikeouts in that time, but he’s also issued 34 walks, hit four batters and thrown four wild pitches. [Update: Chisholm tweets that the Jays are calling the injury a back strain but hopeful that he can avoid even missing a start in Buffalo.]

Quick Hits: Brewers, Kimbrel, Keuchel, Astros, Correa, A’s, Nats

By Connor Byrne | March 30, 2019 at 10:49pm CDT

The Brewers have reportedly engaged in “pretty serious” negotiations of late with closer Craig Kimbrel, who remains available even after the start of the season. Now, having lost closer Corey Knebel to season-ending Tommy John surgery, a union between the Brewers and Kimbrel looks even more plausible on paper. However, barring a massive drop in asking price, the Brewers aren’t in position to sign Kimbrel or the majors’ other big-ticket free agent, starter Dallas Keuchel, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Both Kimbrel and Keuchel rejected a $17.9MM qualifying offer from their previous team at the outset of the offseason. But even if they wind up settling for one-year contracts, odds are those deals will approach or exceed the worth of the qualifying offer. The Brewers, for their part, probably don’t even have half the value of the QO left in their budget, Haudricourt relays, as they’re already sporting a franchise-record Opening Day payroll. As a result, Haudricourt posits they’re more likely to rely on in-house reinforcements such as injured reliever Jeremy Jeffress and on-the-mend starter Jimmy Nelson than splurge on one of the two star free agents sitting on the open market.

Carlos Correa Wins Arbitration Case Against Astros

By Jeff Todd | February 5, 2019 at 2:23pm CDT

Shortstop Carlos Correa won his arbitration case against the Astros, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). The GSE client will earn $5MM rather than the $4.25MM figure that the team had submitted.

One of the game’s brightest young stars, Correa picked a poor time for his first misstep in the majors. After turning in monster offensive numbers in an injury-limited 2017 season, the former Rookie of the Year again missed time in 2018 and wasn’t quite himself at the plate. He ended up posting a .239/.323/.405 slash over 468 plate appearances.

So long as Correa can put his back issues behind him, his outlook remains quite bright. He’ll still open his arb earning period with a strong $5MM base rate, though that’s about half of what he might have taken home with a platform season that better matched his prior offensive output. (Fellow youthful star shortstop Francisco Lindor earned $10.55MM after posting his best offensive season in his final pre-arb year.)

This decision is now reflected in MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Show all

Headlines

Carlos Correa

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect