Houston Astros star Carlos Correa will not return this season, manager Joe Espada said Tuesday. Correa had left ankle surgery on May 11 and was expected to miss six to eight months. He was nearing a return, with rehab games planned for Triple-A Sugar Land this week, but the team decided to shut him down and focus on next spring.

Espada said Correa didn't have a setback; the ramping up of activity caused inflammation in his ankle. "It's just the buildup... it just kind of flared up on him," Espada said. "The smart thing to do right now is for Carlos to focus on next season."

The Astros entered Tuesday one game ahead of the Texas Rangers in the AL West. Espada called it disappointing that Correa fell short after working so hard. He doesn't think Correa could return even if Houston made a deep postseason run.

Correa, back with the Astros after last summer's trade from the Twins, was hitting .279 with three home runs and 16 RBI. He has salaries of $31.5 million this season, $30.5 million in 2027 and $30 million in 2028. The Twins will pay the Astros $10 million each Dec. 15 through 2028.