Carlos Correa suffered a significant injury to his left ankle while hitting in the cage before Tuesday’s game and will require season-ending surgery, a source told MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart on Wednesday morning.
Correa slashed .279/.369/.418 with three home runs and 16 RBIs across his first 141 plate appearances this season. He had stepped into the leadoff role in Jeremy Peña’s absence and was one of the few constants in a lineup battered by injuries. Among qualified Astros hitters, only Yordan Alvarez and Christian Walker posted higher marks across batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.
The Astros’ injured list already reads like a who’s who of their best players: ace Hunter Brown, closer Josh Hader, Peña, starters Cristian Javier and Tatsuya Imai, center fielder Jake Meyers, and catcher Yainer Diaz, who was added Tuesday with a left oblique strain. Correa will be the fourth member of the Opening Day lineup to land on the IL, joining Diaz, Joey Loperfido, and Meyers.
Isaac Paredes figures to take over at third base—the same Paredes the Astros dangled in trade talks all winter and are now relieved to still have. Peña is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment this weekend and could return to the active roster shortly thereafter, which will help shore up the infield.
“Carlos is a cornerstone in this clubhouse,” first baseman Christian Walker said. “The guys lean on him. We look to him for leadership. I know that his presence will continue to be felt, but we’re just going to continue to pray for him and stay positive.”
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