Astros manager Joe Espada has informed reporters, including Chandler Rome of The Athletic, that infielder Carlos Correa will not be coming off the injured list to rejoin the Astros this year. According to Espada, per Rome, there was no specific setback or injury recurrence. Rather, the daily workload related to his recovery became too much to bear.

Though Espada may not like the word, it’s hard to honestly say this is not a setback, relative to recent developments. Correa underwent surgery in May on his left ankle. Though it was initially expected to end his season, the possibility of him making a late-season return eventually became real. Last month, Espada said the Astros expected Correa back at some point in September. As of two days ago, per Rome, Correa was on the verge of heading out on a rehab assignment.

Looking back to a few months ago, today’s update isn’t a significant development. His 2026 season had already been written off and that is once again the case. But the potential for a postseason boost was enticing. Correa has had plenty of injuries over the years but put up a strong .279/.369/.418 line before hitting the IL earlier this year, with solid defense at both shortstop and third base as well. Getting that kind of production back for October could have given the Astros some extra juice but that dream has now faded.

For now, the Astros will continue with their existing position player group, with Jeremy Peña at shortstop, Isaac Paredes at third, Jose Altuve at second, Christian Walker at first and Yordan Alvarez in the designated hitter spot most of the time. Correa’s return was going to shake up that group and he might have ended up playing some second base, which would have been new for him, but that’s a moot point now.

The question of how to make all the pieces fit will continue into the offseason, as all of those players are under contract or under club control for 2027. The club could once again hold everyone and let inevitable injuries sort things out. Here in 2026, it wasn’t known how the Astros would find playing time for everyone, but then Peña missed time in April with a hamstring strain and Correa suffered his ankle injury in May. Ultimately, there were very few days where everyone was healthy at the same time.

That wouldn’t necessarily be the case in 2027 and there are also other reasons to expect that the club might alleviate the logjam with a trade. Peña and Paredes are both slated for free agency after 2027. The Astros have expressed an interest in extending Peña in the past but there hasn’t been any indication that they have been close to a deal. Since Peña is a Boras Corporation client, the odds of getting a deal done were perhaps long the whole time.

That is basically the same situation Kyle Tucker was in a few years ago. When he was down to one year of club control and an extension didn’t seem possible, he was put on the trade block. The Cubs landed him by giving up Paredes, Hayden Wesneski and Cam Smith.

Rather than hold everyone in the infield/DH group and wait for an injury, it’s possible the Astros look to make a trade that opens things up and also helps them address other parts of their roster. Adding outfield help or pitching via trade would help them avoid free agency, a notable thing for a club that likes to stay under the competitive balance tax.

Photo courtesy of Erik Williams, Imagn Images