The Houston Astros have suffered a major blow to their infield. Shortstop Carlos Correa is expected to undergo season-ending ankle surgery, he told reporters on Wednesday, sidelining one of the team's biggest stars for the remainder of the 2026 MLB season.
The injury occurred in a devastatingly simple moment. After going 0-for-4 in Monday's 8-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Correa was taking swings in the batting cage on Tuesday before the team's 2-1 win at Daikin Park. That's when he felt and heard a "pop" in his ankle. He immediately fell to the ground, unable to put weight on his left foot.
"It's tough," Correa said. "Not what I was expecting. Now it's time to deal with it, face it head-on and focus on the rehab."
The three-time All-Star and 2017 World Series champion expects to undergo surgery "at some point this week," with a recovery timeline of at least six to eight months. The Astros have placed him on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to Tuesday, and the team plans to seek additional medical opinions before finalizing the procedure.
Correa's absence is a significant setback for a Houston squad already struggling to find its footing. The 31-year-old shortstop, who reunited with the Astros last season via a trade from the Minnesota Twins, was hitting .279 with three home runs and 16 RBIs through 32 games in 2026. Last season, he posted a .276 average with 13 homers and 52 RBIs across 144 appearances split between the Twins and Astros.
Despite the grim news, Correa remains determined. "I might not understand it now, but I'm going to keep moving forward, trusting the Lord's plan," he said. "I'm going to keep a positive attitude. I know it comes at a moment where I'm falling in love with baseball more than ever."
The Astros (15-22) sit in fourth place in the American League West, four games behind the division-leading Athletics (18-17), though they have won three of their last four. In Correa's absence, Nick Allen started at shortstop on Tuesday, and the team has recalled infielder Shay Whitcomb from Triple-A to bolster the roster. With Correa under contract through 2028 and team options extending through 2032, the Astros will be counting on a full recovery for their star shortstop—and hoping the rest of the lineup can step up while he's on the mend.