Carlos Correa has cleared another major hurdle in his recovery, giving the Houston Astros renewed hope that their star infielder could return before the end of the 2026 season.
Correa will travel to the Astros’ Spring Training facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, this weekend to begin facing live pitching as he continues his rehabilitation from left ankle surgery.
The update was first reported by MLB.com Astros beat reporter Brian McTaggart on X, providing the latest indication that Correa’s recovery is moving faster than originally expected.
Correa underwent surgery on May 11 to repair his torn peroneus brevis tendon after suffering the injury while taking swings in the batting cage. He was initially expected to miss the remainder of the season, but his progress has changed that outlook.
The 31-year-old was already running at roughly 95% intensity, fielding ground balls at third base and hitting off a pitching machine before receiving clearance for the next stage of his rehabilitation.
Correa’s return would give Houston another proven bat for the stretch run. Before the injury, he hit.279 with a.369 on-base percentage, .418 slugging percentage, three home runs and 16 RBI over 32 games.
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The Astros entered Thursday with a 71-69 record and a narrow lead over the Texas Rangers in the American League West. Houston’s position makes every potential September reinforcement increasingly important.
For now, Correa still has several rehabilitation steps ahead of him before a return becomes realistic. However, his progression from surgery to live pitching represents a significant development for an Astros team trying to stay in the postseason race.
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