AL West Check-In: Astros’ Correa has surgery; Rangers starter scratched

Houston’s Carlos Correa had surgery to repair a torn tendon in his left ankle Monday.

The star infielder was injured Tuesday and said the following day that he would need the season-ending surgery.

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Manager Joe Espada said Correa made a FaceTime call to him while he was in the advance meeting with Houston’s position players Monday before the start of a four-game series against Seattle.

“He said hello to everyone,” Espada said. “And hopefully we get to see him here in the next day or two because … he’s doing well. Surgery went very well.”

Correa was injured while taking swings in the batting cage before a game last week. He said Wednesday that the injury was a complete tear and his recovery is expected to take six to eight months.

Espada is looking for Correa to help mentor some of the team’s younger players while he’s sidelined.

“He’s knowledgeable, he helps these young players stay calm and (with) how to play their position, how to go about at-bats,” Espada said. “There’s so many things that you could learn from Carlos.”

Correa has had ankle problems in the past. In 2023, he had huge free agent deals with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets fall through over concerns with his right ankle that was operated on in 2014. He ended up remaining with the Minnesota Twins after the deals collapsed.

Correa, who is back with the Astros after last summer’s blockbuster trade from the Twins, played third base for Houston last season with Jeremy Peña at shortstop. But Correa has been playing shortstop recently with Peña out with a hamstring injury.

Correa has salaries of $31.5 million this season, $30.5 million in 2027 and $30 million in 2028. As part of the July trade, the Twins will pay the Astros $10 million each Dec. 15 from this year through 2028.

Correa was batting .279 with three home runs and 16 RBIs. The No. 1 pick in the 2012 amateur draft, Correa spent his first seven seasons with the Astros before signing with the Twins where he spent 3 1/2 seasons before last summer’s trade.

Rangers scratch Nathan Eovaldi

Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi was scratched from his scheduled start Monday night because of left side tightness.

About three hours before the scheduled first pitch of their series opener at home against Arizona, the Rangers said right-handed reliever Jakob Junis would start in Eovaldi’s place.

Eovaldi (4-4, 4.15 ERA) is coming off consecutive wins against the Yankees in his last two starts, limiting the Yankees to one run and striking out 15 over 15 innings in those games. He allowed one run over eight innings at Yankee Stadium last Wednesday and threw seven scoreless innings against them in his last home start on April 29.

The 36-year-old, two-time All-Star went 11-3 with a career-best 1.73 ERA last season when he was limited to 22 starts. He missed most of June with elbow inflammation and didn’t pitch after Aug. 22 because of a rotator cuff strain.

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