Carlos

Correa

Peña remains without a clear return timetable as he battles a lingering left oblique issue. The 28-year-old top-of-the-order table-setter’s absence has some serious ramifications for the Astros who sit one game behind the Mariners in the AL West and also trail the Tigers and Guardians by a game for the final AL Wild Card playoff spot. It’ll be Carlos Correa taking over at shortstop in his ongoing absence with Ramón Urías at the hot corner in this one.

Correa’s home run was his 11th of the year. He hit a two-run shot that tied the game in the eighth inning. Correa’s home run was his fourth in 32 games since the start of August. He’s hitting .277 with a .730 OPS and 47 RBI this year.

Correa wasted no time putting the Astros on the board, taking Dean Kremer deep for a two-run shot in the first inning. He added a single in the fifth. The 30-year-old infielder is up to ten home runs, three with the Astros. He’s slashing .281/.333/.405 with 51 runs and 43 RBI across 451 plate appearances.

Correa’s home run was his ninth of the season. The 30-year-old third baseman hit a solo shot off Tim Hill in the ninth inning. Correa had an excellent series against the Yankees with two hits and an RBI in all three games. He’s hitting .281 with a .744 OPS and 37 RBI this year.

Sánchez has been dropped to the lower third of the lineup card with Houston facing a left-handed starter for the first time since his arrival at last month’s trade deadline. Cam Smith gets the nod in right field for Saturday afternoon’s matinee at Yankee Stadium with Carlos Correa being bumped up to the second spot in the lineup.

The Astros only had three hits and one run on the day, so Correa was essentially their whole offense. The veteran went 3-for-12 with three runs scored and a home run in his first three games back with his old team. Having shortstop and third base eligibility will be a nice boost to his fantasy value.

Peña will get some extra time off to rest and recover during Saturday afternoon’s game at Fenway Park after making an early exit from Friday’s extra-inning marathon with a right hamstring cramp. The 27-year-old went 3-for-5 in his return from the injured list after missing five weeks with a fractured rib. It’ll be Carlos Correa taking over at shortstop in his absence with Ramón Urías taking over at the hot corner. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for the moment.

Correa officially rejoins the team that he broke into the big leagues and became a superstar with before joining the Twins prior to the 2022 season. This time around, he’s expected to function as the team’s primary third baseman with Isaac Paredes (hamstring) done for the season. Those cash considerations isn’t likely to be substantial, as the Astros are picking up most of the money remaining on the 30-year-old’s six-year, $200 million contract. Correa has hit just .267/.319/.386 with seven homers, 31 RBI and zero stolen bases in 364 plate appearances on the season.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today had reported earlier in the day that the talks between the two sides were “all but dead”, which seems to have injected just enough life back into the deal for the Astros and Twins to push it across the finish line. No word yet on what the Twins will be receiving in return for the 30-year-old shortstop, but those details should come out shortly. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi adds that the Astros are picking up the majority of the remaining salary on Correa’s six-year, $200 million contract, which runs through at least 2028 before hitting a series of team options.

He adds that the Astros wanted the Twins to pay about $50 million of the $102.5 million is owed through 2028 and to also send them an unnamed outfielder. The Twins would want to shed more salary that that to make a deal palatable.