Getty Carlos Correa at the plate during an April 2 game.
Minnesota Twins’ star shortstop Carlos Correa is headed to the MLB‘s 10-day injury list after suffering an oblique strain, according to ESPN.com.
Correa suffered the injury during the Twins’ April 12 game against the Detroit Tigers. Correa could be seen grabbing his right side three different times during an at-bat in the third inning.
#MNTwins Carlos Correa left tonight’s game with an oblique injury.
You can see at 3 separate points in the at-bat that he grabs at his right side.
He left the game after this at-bat.
Correa struck out during the at-bat, and then was removed from the game.
The Twins’ shortstop spoke with media on April 13, and explained that the injury stems from sickness.
“I was already feeling kind of tight on the sides going into the game.”
Carlos Correa says his oblique strain probably was impacted by coughing and blowing his nose as part of being sick for the past week.
“I think it’s just a build up of me being sick for the past week, and being very congested.” Correa said, per a video from Bally Sports North. “And the coughing, and the blowing your nose. I was already feeling kind of tight on the sides going into the game because of that.
“And, you know, when I dove and I got up,” Correa continued, “I just felt a little discomfort on the side.”
The dive that Correa’s referencing came during the second inning, when when he made a diving catch at shortstop.
There is currently no update on the strain’s severity, nor any clear timetable on when the Twins can expect Correa to return.
But the MLB’s Health and Injury Tracking System (HITS) notes that hitters typically take 27 days to recover from a Grade 1 oblique strain. Therefore, Correa will be be missing at least a few weeks before he’s back to full health.
Correa Was on Fire for the Twins
While a two-time MLB All-Star and world-class shortstop getting injured can never come at a good time, Correa’s strain is especially unfortunate, considering his current form.
Correa has gotten off to a blistering start this season. He is currently batting .306 with an .876 OPS, and is hitting .346 against right-handed pitchers.
In fact, Correa has been Minnesota’s lone bright spot on offense. The Twins are dead last in the MLB with a .184 team batting average, are 29th in team home runs (8), and are just 4-7 on the season so far.
When Twins outfielder Byron Buxton was asked about Correa’s injury, he said, “It’s like a gut punch… It’s pretty frustrating.”
The Twins are also without infielder Royce Lewis. Lewis — who, like Correa, was a No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft — has been sidelined for over two weeks with a strained quadriceps.
In fact, the 2023 AL Central champions have already suffered a slew of injuries in 2024.
Key players the #MNTwins have already lost to injuries after only 11 games:
– Royce Lewis
– Carlos Correa
– Jhoan Duran
– Max Kepler
– Caleb Thielbar
– Justin Topa
– Brooks Lee
There’s still plenty of time for the Twins to get healthy and start winning games. But they’ll have to hope these injury woes end soon, so that they aren’t down too bad once Correa returns.
Correa’s Concerning Injury History
Correa has dealt with a number of injuries since entering the MLB in 2015.
Since 2018, Correa has had back, rib, leg, finger, heel, and foot injuries. The last of which came during the 2023 season, when Correa was dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
This injury caused Correa to miss the final 11 games of Minnesota’s regular season. He returned in time for the playoffs, however, and hit a whopping .409 (9-for-22) with four RBIs in the 2023 postseason.
Hopefully Correa can quickly find his current form again whenever his oblique heals.