Carlos Correa came through Monday’s surgery in good spirits, and if you know anything about Carlos Correa, that probably doesn’t surprise you.
The Astros shortstop underwent surgery Monday to repair a complete tear of the peroneus brevis tendon in his left ankle, an injury he sustained while taking swings in the batting cage before a game last week. The procedure went well, and recovery is expected to take six to eight months, ending his 2026 season before it ever got the chance to hit its stride.
Within hours of coming out of surgery, Correa was on FaceTime.
Manager Joe Espada had him on the call during the team’s advance meeting with position players Monday night before the series opener against Seattle. “He said hello to everyone,” Espada said. “Hopefully we get to see him here in the next day or two because he’s doing well. Surgery went very well.”
Correa has already asked Espada if he can sit next to him in the dugout once he’s mobile enough to get around. The answer was an immediate yes.
“I don’t want him here obviously with crutches,” Espada said, “but as soon as he can move around: Be in the presence of the players, be in the dugout. It’s important. He’s knowledgeable. He helps his young players stay calm and how to play their position, how to go about an at-bat. There’s so many things that you learn from Carlos. Once he’s physically able to do it, he’ll be here.”
That presence will matter. Correa was hitting .279/.369/.418 with a 119 OPS-plus in 32 games—third among Astros regulars behind Yordan Alvarez and Christian Walker—when the injury ended his season. He had opened the year at third base before sliding back to shortstop with Jeremy Peña sidelined by a hamstring strain.
Peña is nearing a minor league rehab assignment and could return within days. When he does, the Astros will be whole again at shortstop. What they won’t have back until 2027 is the veteran presence, the bat, and the leadership that Correa brought to a team that could use all three right now.
For the moment, he’ll provide what he can from the bench.
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Photo credit: thatlostdog on Flickr / Crop by UCinternational (CC BY 2.0)