Injury update: Astros’ top prospect Correa undergoes surgery

The severe leg injury sustained by the Houston Astros’ top prospected Carlos Correa was reported Sunday, here on Call to the Pen. At the time, the official diagnosis of the injury was unknown but it did not look good.

Saturday night, while playing in a game for High Class-A Lancaster, the 19-year shortstop suffered a broken right fibula while sliding into third base. Initial reports surrounding the injury to Correa’s right leg came from Josh Jackson of MiLB.com who said that Correa had to be carried off of the playing field and carted into the clubhouse with a towel over his face. That description he provided did not bode well for Correa. Houston Sports Talk 790’s Cliff Saunders tweeted this telling picture of the scene at St. Elsinore Diamond Stadium in St. Elsinore, CA.

As it turns out they these reports were all bad signs for the young prospect. He suffered a broken right fibula that required surgery. Astros  general manager Jeff Lunow announced on Wednesday, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Evan Drellich, that the shortstop had already undergone the necessary surgery and would be out for the remainder of the season. 

It’s a shame for Correa to have to miss so much time, as the Astros have had such good results with rookies such as Jon Singleton and George Springer. There’s also the fact that Correa, according to MLB.com, who was batting .325 with six home runs and 57 RBI in just 62 games with Lancaster,was on the fast track through the minors and was about to be promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi.

Correa was the Astros number one overall pick in the 2012 First Year Player Draft and he was ranked in the Top 10 Prospects of 2014 by  BaseballProspectus.com, MLB.com and Baseball America.

The timetable for Correa’s return is unknown, however, the team is hopeful that he will be recovered in time to join the Arizona Fall League that begins play in October.