Astros’ Carlos Correa to miss 4-6 weeks with fractured rib

Astros shortstop Carlos Correa is expected to miss at least 4-6 weeks with a fractured rib. MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart was among the reporters to tweet that Houston placed Correa on the 10-day injured list Wednesday morning:

Unfortunately, the 24-year-old Correa — the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft and a player who, a few years ago, was thought to be on track to become one of the majors’ best — seems to be developing a reputation as an injury-prone player who can’t make it through a season without missing significant time. This is the third straight year Correa will have had a lengthy disabled/injured list stint — he missed six weeks with a torn thumb ligament in 2017, nearly six weeks last year with lower-back soreness, and now at least 4-6 weeks this year with the rib injury.

In Correa’s absence, Houston will likely turn to Alex Bregman as the regular shortstop, with Yuli Gurriel playing third and Tyler White getting more time at first base. They’ll get Aledmys Díaz back at some point to serve as another option at short, but for now rookies Jack Mayfield and Myles Straw — a natural outfielder who was converted to shortstop this season and was recalled to replace Correa — will be the alternatives to Bregman at the position.

Correa becomes the eighth player currently on the Astros’ injured list: In addition to Lance McCullers, who is out for the season following Tommy John surgery, and Joe Smith, who has yet to appear in 2019 after tearing his Achilles over the winter, the Astros have Díaz, José Altuve, and George Springer all out with left hamstring strains — Springer’s is viewed to be the most serious, though Altuve’s forced him to stop a recent rehab assignment despite initially being diagnosed as mild. Collin McHugh is also out with right elbow soreness, an ominous diagnosis for any pitcher, and Max Stassi is out with left knee inflammation.