ST. PETERSBURG -- Carlos Correa, who made the move from shortstop to third base last season when he was reacquired by the Astros in a trade with the Twins, could see time at second base if he returns from an ankle injury in the final weeks of the regular season.
Correa has been working out at the team’s Spring Training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., for the past week, and took grounders at second base on Saturday, a source told MLB.com. Correa has played 1,220 career games at shortstop and 62 at third base, with no experience at second base in his 12-year MLB career.
That soon could change.
A story published Saturday by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal stated that the Astros are considering the possibility of Correa playing second base if he returns. Correa had peroneus brevis tendon repair surgery on his left ankle on May 11 and was expected to miss the remainder of the season.
Correa was cleared to swing the bat in early August and began running shortly after that, making him hopeful he could return and contribute in the postseason for Houston. Correa is getting at-bats during live batting practice and “bridge” games while in Florida, and could be sent on a Minor League rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land next week.
Astros manager Joe Espada played coy when asked about Correa’s positional future, but said the team has communicated with him where they envision him playing if he comes back. Correa still needs to check some boxes in his recovery, though, including sliding and seeing how he recovers after playing in a game for six innings, before the club can begin mapping out how he will fit into the lineup.
“He’s doing very well,” Espada said. “I’m really happy where he’s at right now.”
For now, Correa’s move to second base would push Jose Altuve to designated hitter. Altuve, who ranks last in the Major Leagues at second in both defensive runs saved (-17) and fielding run value (-10), has been getting replaced defensively at second base by Nick Allen late in games in recent weeks.
Altuve starting at DH would force slugger Yordan Alvarez to play left field, where he’s started 23 games this season. That included consecutive games in left field Aug. 29 and 30 while the club was at Citi Field playing the Mets. Alvarez was out of the lineup for the second consecutive game Saturday while dealing with a sore right ankle.
Espada said earlier this month that Correa would play third base if he returns, which would push Isaac Paredes to second base or even first base, where Christian Walker entered Saturday hitting .198 since May 4.
Correa is more athletic than Altuve or Paredes, and could certainly handle second base duties well. He would combine with shortstop Jeremy Peña to give Houston elite defense up the middle, but not having his strong arm on the left side of the infield could lead the Astros to simply keep him at third base and move Paredes.
Correa, who will turn 32 on Sept. 22, was slashing .279/.369/.418 with three homers and 16 RBIs in 32 games before injuring himself while swinging in the batting cages. He slashed .290/.355/.430 with six homers and 21 RBIs in 51 games for the Astros in 2025 after the Deadline move.
He was the No. 1 overall pick by Houston in the 2012 MLB Draft out of Puerto Rico and blossomed into a star and franchise icon in Houston, leading the Astros to six trips to the playoffs, including three American League pennants and a 2017 World Series title.
Correa signed with the Twins after the 2021 season -- when he won a Gold Glove and finished fifth in AL MVP voting -- but waived his no-trade clause to return to Houston.