After a rough season of injury, the Houston Astros shortstop announced that he had a procedure that hopefully will help him be even better in 2019 and beyond.
At a team benefit on Saturday, Carlos Correa announced that he underwent surgery for a deviated septum. The Houston Astros shortstop is hoping that the ability to breathe more freely will aid in his effectiveness on the bases.
Correa was the #1 overall selection in 2012 out of high school in Puerto Rico by the Houston Astros. He ascended quickly through the minor leagues, making the major leagues in 2015 after just two full seasons in the minors, hitting a robust .279/.345/.512 with 22 home runs and 14 stolen bases over 99 games, winning the Rookie of the Year award. In his rookie year, he hit .350/.381/.700 with a double and 2 home runs over the Astros loss to Kansas City in the ALDS, a very impressive introduction to the league.
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The Houston Astros lost their shortstop as he slid into home plate in a blowout win over the Braves and tore ligaments in his thumb. He returned after being out for a month and a half, and he had his best overall season, hitting .315/.391/.550 with 25 doubles, 24 home runs, 82 runs, and 84 RBI over 109 games. He earned his first All-Star nod, and he was a key cog as the Astros stormed to a World Series championship, hitting .288/.325/.532 with 5 home runs over the playoffs. He capped off the big year as the team celebrated their World Series win, asking his girlfriend to marry him.
It was going to be hard to top the 2017 season, but no one around the Houston Astros could have guessed just how rough a season Correa would have. A back injury early in the season progressed in pain bit by bit until he finally went on the DL in late June until mid-August. Though he returned and finished out the season, the back bothered him throughout the rest of the season, and Correa struggled in the final month and a half of the season, hitting .180/.261/.256 over 37 games as he fought through back issues.
Correa did mention that he would not be having any surgery for his back, and Houston Chronicle’s Brian T. Smith tweeted that Correa is “doing well” in regards to his back.
How Carlos Correa will play for the Houston Astros in 2019 is yet to be determined, but if the work on his breathing truly aids his play, we’ll see a return to the power/speed threat that Correa displayed in his first two seasons, and that could be a huge asset for the Astros offense.