Carlos Correa's return to the Houston Astros is among the major storylines of the 2025 MLB season. Another chapter of that story was written on Monday night, as Correa played his first home game in Houston since 2021.
The game, which resulted in a 7-6 victory for the Astros, was also an important one for third baseman Alex Bregman, who made his return to Daikin Park for the first time since signing with the Boston Red Sox this offseason. But for Correa, it represented something he previously believed he would not experience for the rest of his professional baseball career.
"I never thought I would get the chance to put on this uniform again. I'm blessed that I get to do this again in front of all the fans here in Houston," Correa told reporters. "This is a chance that I will never take for granted. I'm going to go out there and give it my best every single day."
Ahead of Monday's game, Correa also revealed to reporters what he has enjoyed most about being a member of the Astros organization.
“The best part about being back with the Astros is being able to play with Jose Altuve again," Correa said, via The Athletic's Chandler Rome.
Altuve and Correa had played on opposite sides of second base for the entirety of the latter's MLB career, beginning in 2015 and lasting until he left for Minnesota before the 2022 season. The duo experienced plenty of success together with the Astros, winning a World Series championship over the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017 (and nearly claiming another title against the Washington Nationals two years later) and combining for nine All-Star Game trips, two Gold Glove Awards and five Silver Slugger Awards.
The Astros, with Correa and Altuve in tow, are primed for another postseason run, but they first will need to maintain their pace ahead of a resurgent Seattle Mariners squad looking to claim the top spot in the AL West.