Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa will miss the rest of the season because of an ankle issue that has kept him out for most of the year. Manager Joe Espada told reporters Tuesday that Correa will not return, ending weeks of optimism that he might make it back before the postseason. Correa underwent surgery on his left ankle in May and faced a six-to-eight-month return timeline. He was initially set to miss the remainder of the season, but there was late hope he could defy the odds.
The Athletic’s Chandler Rome reported Tuesday that Correa planned to return to the team’s spring training facility in Florida this week to meet with doctors and potentially receive clearance for a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic noted last week that if Correa was able to return, the team was considering putting him at second base. He has only ever played third base and shortstop in his career. But the Astros’ hopes of getting the three-time All-Star back on the field have now been squashed.
“The most important thing for him now is to focus on next season,” Espada told reporters. Espada said Correa did not suffer a setback in his recovery, but the rehab took a toll on his leg and ankle and created soreness. The daily workload required to get him back before the postseason became unsustainable for the 31-year-old, who had undergone peroneus brevis tendon repair surgery on his left ankle in May. In 32 games before his injury, Correa had hit three home runs and 16 RBI while slashing .279/.369/.418.
The rest of Houston‘s injury report offers a mixed picture. Outfielder and infielder Brice Matthews, sidelined since mid-July with a left knee sprain, has been building back up at Triple-A Sugar Land. He played nine innings in center field on Sept. 10 and went 0 for 3 with a walk, then moved to second base two days later. No return date has been announced. Right-hander Mike Burrows, out since July with right elbow neuritis and shoulder inflammation, threw a bullpen session on Sept. 13 at the club’s spring training facility in West Palm Beach. His timeline also remains open-ended.
Left-hander Steven Okert is the closest to coming back. Placed on the 15-day injured list on Sept. 4 with a right hamstring strain, retroactive to Sept. 1, he has been throwing in Florida and is expected to be activated around Sept. 15. Brandon Walter remains the longest-term absence on the staff. The left-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2025 to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament and is not expected back until 2027. Houston has also been active on the transaction wire. The club claimed outfielder Jorge Barrosa off waivers from the Diamondbacks on Sept. 7 and optioned Jake Meyers to Sugar Land the same day, then recalled right-hander Miguel Ullola on Sept. 6 while sending Kai-Wei Teng down.
The Astros are currently sitting atop the AL West at 75-75, but they are just one game ahead of the second-place Texas Rangers. Houston will take on the Kansas City Royals starting Tuesday after being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend. All of it lands with the Astros at 75-75, clinging to a one-game lead over the Rangers atop a weak American League West.
