Astros' Carlos Correa (ankle surgery) not ruling out 2026 return

On May 11, Carlos Correa underwent what he thought was season-ending surgery on his left ankle.

On Saturday, he began working out on the field again, well ahead of the original six- to eight-month recovery timeline. That has the Astros' third baseman optimistic his season isn't over after all.

"We'll see," Correa said. "I wouldn't be doing all this work if I didn't think there was a chance."

Correa has progressed to doing all baseball activities except hitting, and he said he could be cleared to do that, too, following a Tuesday doctor's appointment.

"As soon as I got hurt, I got on this protocol," he told reporters. "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."

Correa is not even halfway through his projected recovery timeline. Should he rejoin the Astros' lineup for the stretch run, his bat and glove would be a big boost for a 57-55 Houston club that led the American League West standings by 1 1/2 games over the Rangers entering Sunday's game.

While it's unclear how he would slot in on defense, Correa's bat would certainly be welcome among the top-heavy lineup. The three-time All-Star slashed .279/.369/.418 with three homers and 16 RBIs in 32 games this season prior to the injury, which occurred while Correa took pregame swings in the batting cage on May 5.

The 31-year-old is a career .275 hitter with 203 homers and 740 RBIs across 12 MLB seasons, including two stints (2015-21; 2025-present) with the Astros.

"I'm in a really good spot. A really good spot," he said. "I don't feel (the injury). Been progressing to running and sprinting, and it feels great."

--Field Level Media