The Houston Astros are in a bad spot. Despite high hopes entering the season, they have hit a wall early, sitting at 14-22, fourth in the AL West, with 16 players on the injured list.
Amid all the gloom, Carlos Correa has been one of the few reasons to stay optimistic. Traded back to Houston from the Minnesota Twins at last year’s deadline, Correa hit .290 with a .785 OPS, six home runs and 21 RBIs over his first 51 games back.
Through 32 games in 2026, he is batting .279 with 16 RBIs and a .352 wOBA, solid enough to remain one of manager Joe Espada’s most trusted hitters.
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Correa was expected to be in the lineup Tuesday when the Astros returned to action at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers. But hours before the game, the Astros announced Correa had been scratched from the lineup due to an ankle issue.
It is a blow Houston simply cannot absorb right now. Correa is their most consistent bat at a time when the lineup is already being stretched by injuries, and facing the Dodgers without him makes a difficult assignment considerably harder.
That assignment in question is Shohei Ohtani. Across five starts this season, Ohtani has pitched 30 innings and allowed just two earned runs, a 0.60 ERA that ranks among the best in baseball.
The Astros have gone 4-6 over their last 10 games and need a win desperately to stay within striking distance in the AL West. Correa’s status will be closely monitored moving forward, with Houston unable to afford a prolonged absence from the one player keeping their offense respectable.
