Astros SS Carlos Correa to resume swinging bat as he works back from torn ankle tendon

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters Wednesday that shortstop Carlos Correa has been cleared to resume swinging a bat.

Correa has been sidelined since May 4 after suffering a torn tendon in his ankle. Espada clarified that the shortstop will start with "dry swings" and will advance from there, barring any setbacks.

Dry swings are swings that are taken without a ball being involved. It is just to retrain the body in the act of making a swinging motion, often using a heavier bat in progression.

Initially, it was assumed that the veteran shortstop would be forced to miss the entire season. Now that Correa has been cleared to begin a swing program, there is a chance that he could progress quickly enough to re-join Houston either at the end of the regular season or provide a postseason boost.

The Astros head into Wednesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 59-56 record, sitting atop the AL West. Houston has a 2.5-game lead over the Texas Rangers and a 3.5-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the division.

Correa, 31, played in 32 games for the Astros before suffering his injury. He was slashing .279/.369/.418 and had hit three home runs with 16 RBI.

The shortstop began his career in Houston, spending seven years with the franchise. He signed a unique three-year, $105.3 million contract with the Minnesota Twins ahead of the 2022 season that included an opt-out after the first and second years.

Correa opted out after one year with the Twins and signed a reported 13-year, $350 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. The deal fell through when the Giants had lingering concerns over the long-term health of his right ankle after he had surgery on it in 2014.

The shortstop then supposedly inked a 12-year, $315 million deal with the New York Mets, but they also backed out due to concerns over his ankle.

Correa ended up returning to the Twins on a six-year deal worth $200 million. He was traded back to the Astros ahead of the 2025 MLB trade deadline.

The veteran's current injury is to his left ankle, not the right one that the Giants and Mets had concerns about.