Devastating Injury to Astros is Validation for Giants, Mets
In December 2022, the San Francisco Giants sent out an announcement to the local media. The team would be holding a press conference to announce the signing of a free agent, shortstop Carlos Correa.
The stories were written. Correa started looking for houses in the Bay Area. His parents, siblings, in-laws, personal hitting coach, agent, and others flew in to San Francisco the day before.
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Then, just like that, the deal was off. Correa failed his physical, dashing any chance at signing a reported 13-year, $350 million contract.
Making matters improbably worse, Correa had agreed to terms with the New York Mets on a 12-year, $315 agreement that same month.
Correa ultimately re-signed with the Minnesota Twins for six years and $200 million. That’s hardly a shabby deal.
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To his credit, Correa stayed mostly healthy for the first four years of his contract. He played at least 135 games for the Twins and the Astros, who re-acquired him at last year’s trade deadline.
That run of good health ended May 6, when Correa revealed he needs season-ending surgery on a tendon in his left ankle. He will need between six to eight months to recover, ending his season.
Correa told reporters that he felt a “pop” while swinging in the batting cage on May 5. He was diagnosed with a “complete tear” of the tendon.
“Right away I knew something was wrong,” Correa said.
The Astros’ misfortune compounds what’s become a trying season in Houston. They’re 15-22, fourth place in the American League West.
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The news, while bad, serves as some measure of validation for the Giants and Mets, whose process for signing a potentially risky contract was met with skepticism at the time.
Correa is an excellent player when healthy: a three-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, the 2015 Rookie of the Year, and a former Gold Glove Award-winning shortstop.
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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 10:27 AM.