Carlos Correa’s season may not be over after all.
Nearly four months after undergoing surgery to repair the peroneus brevis tendon in his left ankle, Correa received clearance Tuesday to continue ramping up his rehabilitation at the Astros’ spring training complex in Florida. The development keeps alive what once seemed an unlikely possibility: Correa returning to Houston’s lineup before the end of the regular season.
When Correa underwent surgery May 11, the expected recovery period was six to eight months, and the Astros announced that he would miss the remainder of the season. Instead, his recovery has progressed far enough that a September return is now a realistic possibility.
Correa Is Already Sprinting at 95 Percent
Correa said Tuesday that he is sprinting at 95 percent effort, fielding grounders, and doing essentially everything at the plate except facing live pitching. He will now head to Florida, where facing live pitching, running the bases, and sliding are among the next steps in his progression.
That represents remarkable progress for a player whose 2026 season appeared finished when he tore the tendon May 5 while swinging in the batting cage before a game at Daikin Park.
Correa was cleared to begin swinging again in early August and has since progressed to hitting off a pitching machine, fielding ground balls, and running. Tuesday’s four-month examination was expected to determine whether he could advance to running the bases and potentially begin sliding.
Tuesday’s examination gave him the green light to take the next steps.
An Unexpected September Reinforcement
Correa was hitting .279/.369/.418 with three home runs and 16 RBI through 32 games before the injury. The Astros entered most of the summer expecting to finish the season without him, but Correa began openly entertaining the possibility of a return as his recovery accelerated.
Now there is at least a chance Houston won’t have to finish without him.
There is still work between Tuesday’s clearance and a return to a major league lineup. Correa has yet to face live pitching, and running the bases and sliding will put considerably different demands on his surgically repaired ankle.
Houston doesn’t need Correa to rush the final stages of his rehab. It needs him healthy enough to contribute to a September race that began with the Astros holding a two-game lead over the Texas Rangers in the AL West.
If Correa can complete the next stages of his rehab without a setback, the Astros could get back a player they never expected to see again this season—and at precisely the time they could use him most.
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