Twins shortstop Correa says talk of return to Houston isn't 'serious'

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Twins shortstop Correa says talk of return to Houston isn't 'serious'

2025-07-31 08:27 Last Updated At：08:30

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Carlos Correa said discussions about a trade from Minnesota back to Houston before Thursday's deadline aren't “serious," but he didn't rule out the possibility of returning to the city where he won a World Series.

“That’s not something that’s, I don’t think, serious right now,” the shortstop said after sitting out Minnesota’s 13-1 loss to Boston on Wednesday with a migraine. “We’ll see where everything goes, but my goal has always been to be here and win here."

The three-time All-Star has a no-trade clause in the six-year, $200 million contract he signed with the Twins in 2023, so he’d need to sign off on any deal. Correa said he’s been in frequent communication with Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey and manager Rocco Baldelli, and said he has “full control” over what happens between now and the 6 p.m. ET Thursday deadline.

The Astros may be in need of an infielder, with third baseman Isaac Paredes continuing to battle a strained hamstring. Correa is a beloved fixture in franchise history who led Houston to a 2017 World Series crown and batted .277 with 489 RBIs in seven seasons.

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, who remains close with Correa, was asked in Houston on Wednesday if he'd heard about the possibility of him returning to the team.

“Correa’s a guy with a lot of history here in Houston,” Altuve said. “He’s a great player, great human being, great teammate. So I think — if anything (were) to happen, I hope it’s the best for him and for us.”

The 30-year-old Correa hasn't been quite the same player since signing a three-year deal with Minnesota in 2022. Correa opted out of that contract and agreed to join the San Francisco Giants then the New York Mets, but both deals were negated after his physicals.

He re-signed with Minnesota, where he's hit .271 while battling several nagging injuries that have had him in and out of the lineup.

After trading starter Chris Paddack to Detroit on Tuesday, the Twins have indicated they plan to keep shedding contracts at this year's deadline. A team that expected to compete for the AL Central is fourth in the division, 4-8 since the All-Star break and an AL-worst 20-31 since June 1.

The Twins also traded reliever Jhoan Duran to the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday for two top prospects. A person with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed the move to the AP on condition of anonymity because it was pending a review of medical records.

While Falvey and the front office continue to believe in a core that includes All-Star Byron Buxton, Royce Lewis and ace Pablo Lopez, the team may start preparing for next season and beyond by maximizing the return value of expiring contracts.

It's the first time in his career Correa has played for a team in “sell” mode.

“I’ve been having a lot of conversation with players and just try to keep them focused on the things that they can control and the daily work that we do here, to go out there and try to win games and whatever happens happens,” Correa said.

Correa also left Tuesday's loss to the Red Sox with a migraine. An MRI on Wednesday revealed no serious concerns.

Correa isn't the only Twins player whose name has swirled in the trade deadline rumor mill. Reliever Griffin Jax, outfielder Harrison Bader, catcher Christian Vázquez, reliever Danny Coulombe, outfielder Ty France and utility man Willi Castro, among others, are set to become free agents or arbitration-eligible after the season.

“This game has kind of thrown me all over the place,” said France, who signed with Minnesota in February. “I’ve been traded a few times, been DFA’d, I’ve been through it all. So it’s just part of the business. It’s not a fun part, but it is what it is."

Jax said he's never dealt with this before.

"A couple of years ago in ’21, I was the guy that was going to get called up if we made some trades, and that’s what ended up happening. So, now being on this side and seeing the other sides of emotions and what it’s really like from the business side, it’s just different.”

Castro exited Wednesday's loss to Boston early and was seen shaking hands with many of his teammates in the dugout.

“I was planning on taking Willi out of the game,” Baldelli said. “Willi hasn’t gone anywhere. I just wanted to give him a little pat. He plays hard for us every day."

Castro, a 2024 All-Star said afterward he was “nervous” about the 24 hours leading up to the deadline.

"They haven’t told me anything yet,” he said.

Associated Press Sports Writer Kristie Rieken in Houston contributed to this story.

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Ailing astronaut returns to Earth early in NASA's first medical evacuation

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An ailing astronaut returned to Earth with three others on Thursday, ending their space station mission more than a month early in NASA’s first medical evacuation.

SpaceX guided the capsule to a middle-of-the-night splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego, less than 11 hours after the astronauts exited the International Space Station.

“It’s so good to be home,” said NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, the capsule commander.

It was an unexpected finish to a mission that began in August and left the orbiting lab with only one American and two Russians on board. NASA and SpaceX said they would try to move up the launch of a fresh crew of four; liftoff is currently targeted for mid-February.

Cardman and NASA’s Mike Fincke were joined on the return by Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov. Officials have refused to identify the astronaut who had the health problem or explain what happened, citing medical privacy.

While the astronaut was stable in orbit, NASA wanted them back on Earth as soon as possible to receive proper care and diagnostic testing. The entry and splashdown required no special changes or accommodations, officials said, and the recovery ship had its usual allotment of medical experts on board. It was not immediately known when the astronauts would fly from California to their home base in Houston. Platonov’s return to Moscow was also unclear.

NASA stressed repeatedly over the past week that this was not an emergency. The astronaut fell sick or was injured on Jan. 7, prompting NASA to call off the next day’s spacewalk by Cardman and Fincke, and ultimately resulting in the early return. It was the first time NASA cut short a spaceflight for medical reasons. The Russians had done so decades ago.

The space station has gotten by with three astronauts before, sometimes even with just two. NASA said it will be unable to perform a spacewalk, even for an emergency, until the arrival of the next crew, which has two Americans, one French and one Russian astronaut.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.