Correa’s return is at least 2 weeks away
ANAHEIM, Calif. — After a recent setback, Carlos Correa has again progressed to playing catch and running as he continues to rehabilitate a lower back injury, Astros manager A.J.
Hinch said Sunday.
But Correa has not been cleared to swing a bat, and Hinch said the Astros don’t have a timetable for that to happen. Correa, 23, previously suffered a setback when he felt discomfort swinging a bat in advance of the All-Star break.
“We’re just progressing him slowly,” Hinch said. “He’s painfree. He’s doing better. It’s just a slow process to get him back to doing more hitting and fielding.”
Correa, who is working out at Minute Maid Park during the Astros’ five-game road trip to Anaheim and Denver, last played in a game June 25. After Sunday’s 14-5 loss to the Angels, the Astros are 14-8 in the 22 games Correa has missed with his injury.
The Astros don’t expect Correa to return to the major leagues for at least two weeks. The star shortstop will need to pass a series of tests and then play in minor league rehab games before the Astros feel comfortable activating him from the disabled list.
“If you just look at it naturally, whatever time it takes him to ramp up, and then you tack on a handful of rehab games, we’re looking at minimum of a couple weeks,” Hinch said.
Marwin Gonzalez continues to receive the bulk of playing time at shortstop with Correa sidelined. Alex Bregman played there Sunday.
Reddick Stadium opens in Georgia
Josh Reddick couldn’t hold back tears Sunday morning as he scrolled through his phone, looking at pictures and videos that were sent to him from Saturday’s grand opening of Josh Reddick Stadium in Effingham County, Ga.
The outfielder donated $1 million to develop a fully accessible baseball field in his hometown for children with special needs. The complex features artificial turf and accessible dugouts so those in wheelchairs can participate.
“It brings tears to your eyes, and I caught myself crying,” said Reddick, who has planned to give back to his community in some fashion since he was a junior in high school. “It’s just a dream that I’ve been wanting to come true, and now that it’s actually here, it’s definitely heartwarming.”
The first game at the stadium, which has a large red wall in right field nicknamed the “Redd Monster,” was played by the Effingham County Navigators, a team made up of children with disabilities and their siblings. The players all wore No. 22 in honor of Reddick.
“We couldn’t think of anybody else who should be able to play the first game there,” said Reddick, who watched videos of the inaugural game. “It’s a really good feeling to see a lot of happy faces, especially on the kids.”
Reddick said he wanted to create a place where anyone would be able to participate, and he was inspired by the experiences of his father, who lost two fingers in a work accident when Josh was growing up.
Verlander, Kinsler mutual admirers
Former teammates can be friends and enemies in baseball.
As a 14-year veteran who established excellence with the Detroit Tigers, Justin Verlander runs into this situation often.
He smiled begrudgingly after a loss to the Blue Jays in which he allowed two home runs to
Curtis Granderson, who played five seasons with Verlander in Detroit.
“We’ve been friends for a long time, but I’d rather not give up homers to people I know,” Verlander said then.
On Saturday, Verlander bested former Tigers teammates
Ian Kinsler and Justin Upton. Although each of the hitters got a single off Verlander, they were on the losing end of a 7-0 game and Verlander’s 26 consecutive fastballs that spanned the fourth inning.
Kinsler’s hit raised his average against Verlander to .186, the highest average of any Angels hitter against the righthander.
Verlander reached back with maximum effort against Kinsler. He struck out the second baseman looking with a high fastball that registered 99.2 mph, his fastest pitch of the season.
“I was just kind of giving it everything I got,” Verlander said. “I knew Kinsler would be a tough at-bat. He’s somebody who really does a good job of putting the ball in play, and with a guy on second and third and less that two outs, you really need a punchout.”
Said Kinsler of Verlander: “He’s got a good fastball this year. He’s commanding the zone. He has a very good feel for what he wants to do, and he’s executing.”
Kinsler and Verlander played three seasons together in Detroit.
Kinsler said they keep in touch and that he appreciates the outstanding seasons Verlander is enjoying with the Astros.
Verlander, 35, is 10-5 with a 2.19 ERA and 183 strikeouts in a major league-leading 1432⁄3 innings pitched.
“It has nothing to do with age, with what he’s done in the past, what he’s going to do in the future, what he did last year. He’s having a special year,” Kinsler said. “I don’t think anybody expects a guy to pitch the way that he’s pitching. But we all know that he’s capable of it.”
Appreciation is as effusive as Kinsler would get. He is not thrilled that an opposing starter in the American League West is thriving.
“I’m supposed to be happy for a guy that’s a rival in our division who’s throwing the ball really well because he’s a friend?” Kinsler said rhetorically.