Astros should be cautious with shortstop Carlos Correa

The Astros would be smart to put Correa on the DL to fully recover.

Even after last night’s disappointing loss to the Seattle Mariners, the Astros still have a 15.5 game lead in the AL West. The Astros are pretty much guaranteed to make the playoffs at this pace. They need the team to be healthy come October so that they will be cautious with their players.

We have already seen examples of this with Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers this season. With such a big lead, they can place some of their players on the 10-day DL without skipping a beat. This is what the Astros might do with Carlos Correa.

During the game last night, it seemed like a harmless jammed thumb. Then we remembered that it was the same thumb that Correa injured in Atlanta. Correa only missed the one game on July 5th, so we all assumed it was better. This was not the case as he said after the game he’s been in pain the past couple days.

A DL stint needed?

The Astros had hoped that the rest over the All-Star break would have helped. However, after the awkward swing last night it appears that he may have reaggravated it. They will evaluate the thumb today, but how much should they push it with their young star?

During an interview on the MLB Network Radio, A.J. Hinch suggested that the DL might be a possibility. He mentioned that they will get some tests and will be conservative as they have been all year.

The host asked if it is not too serious, could Correa still go on the DL? Hinch said that if it continues to linger, it would be a possibility. On this road trip, there are two off days so that Correa could miss a minimal amount of time.

As August approaches, lingering injuries could lead to fatigue around baseball. If Correa could be given a few days off, he may be stronger down the stretch. At the time of writing, he is day to day, but we will find out more later today.

Next: Astros rumors: Need to target Sonny Gray with A’s in rebuild mode

Marwin Gonzalez could cover shortstop for the time being, while the Astros can bring a bat up from the minors. With the glut of outfielders, Tony Kemp or Colin Moran could get the call. This could be a perfect opportunity to see what Moran can do in the big leagues.