Astros' surge suddenly adds importance to Carlos Correa's recovery no one is buying

Carlos Correa believes that he can return to help the Houston Astros down the stretch of the 2026 season. The Astros' surge has helped fuel the dream. Entering action on August 8, Houston has gone 13-6 so far in the second half and has claimed first place in the AL West, helping to give credence to the narrative that the early-season struggles that made the club appear doomed are a thing of the past.

What Correa is trying to do is reminiscent of Isaac Paredes' dramatic September return following a hamstring injury last season. Ironically, it was Paredes' injury that paved the way for Correa to return to Houston.

There's a very big difference between Paredes' situation a year ago and what's going on with Correa now. There was always a chance for Paredes, who opted not to have surgery, to return; meanwhile, Correa did have surgery on May 11 that typically requires a six-to-eight-month recovery. At the very least, the injury occurred to his left ankle and not the right ankle that infamously nixed Correa's mega deals with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants.

Still, Correa's progress has been nothing short of miraculous. He's been cleared to swing a bat, which is his final hurdle after already beginning on-field work and running earlier. Mentally, that might be the final hurdle for the former first-overall pick, too, as the injury occurred while he was taking batting practice.

“I wouldn’t be doing all this work if I didn’t think there was a chance [to return],” Correa said. “As soon as I got hurt, I got on this protocol and I started looking for all the information I could and how to speed up the process and the things I needed to eat and how I needed to sleep, the type of treatment we needed. We’ve been doing a great job with that. We’re in a good spot.”

Carlos Correa might return, but he's not what the Astros really need to firm up their playoff push

It's clear that the three-time All-Star is motivated and doing everything in his power to make a comeback. At the time of his injury, he was incredibly valuable to the Astros. For all the handwringing about the infield logjam, it never came to fruition as he quickly moved back to shortstop to cover for Jeremy Peña's early-season injury woes.

However, things have changed since then. Houston ranks 10th in the majors in runs scored with 546, sixth in OPS at .740, and third in homers with 159. In the infield, Peña has an .869 OPS on the season, Paredes checks in with a .765 mark, and Christian Walker has posted a .777 performance.

Basically, the logjam has returned. Additionally, there's little chance that the Astros would want Correa playing the field all the time so soon after undergoing serious surgery, but the DH spot is occupied by some guy named Yordan Alvarez. Simply put, it's hard to find a fit.

Where the Astros desperately need help is in the starting rotation after they failed to address it and weakened it even further with their head-scratching trade deadline maneuvers. Houston starters rank 28th with a 5.10 ERA thus far, with no hope of improvement in sight.

So unless Correa's going to come back on the mound, it doesn't really make sense to rush him back. The Astros have him under contract for two years at a total of $40.5 million, before a series of vesting options come into play that could have him in Houston through 2032.

Correa has been fragile throughout his career, and his chances of actually making an impact this season are slim. So are the Astros' chances of truly making a deep playoff run. With that in mind, it doesn't make sense for either side to welcome a rushed return.

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