$200M star under fire as Astros chase AL West title
The Houston Astros are hoping that bringing Carlos Correa back to the Lone Star State allows the player to rediscover his past playoff form. Moreover, Correa's return isn't to relive old memories; it's to help the Astros win the AL West and fend off the Seattle Mariners.
After Sunday's action, the Astros have a 0.5-game lead over the Mariners, so Correa needs to be one of the top players for Houston to ensure that they hold onto the division lead. Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller put Correa as one of the 30 players under pressure in this final stretch of the season.
"In their first year without [Correa], they won 106 games and a World Series with rookie Jeremy Peña filling Correa's shoes," Miller wrote.
"But now, they've put a staggering number of eggs back in the Correa basket, reacquiring their former star and most of what was left on his $200M contract, hoping that a return to his old stomping grounds would be just what the doctor ordered to get him out of what had been a season-long funk."
MORE:Jose Altuve clubs milestone homerun at Yankee Stadium Sunday
Through nine games for Houston, the 30-year-old has found his Astros form as he's batting .405 with 15 hits, two homers, 6 RBIs, and six runs scored since his return before the MLB trade deadline.
"So far, so good on the individual front. Correa posted a .931 OPS in his first week back with Houston and just might be the savior that stops the bleeding of what was a stretch of 15 losses in 22 games," Miller added.
"If he starts to struggle, though, and the Astros get overtaken by the Mariners in the AL West before a quick exit from the postseason, don't be surprised if the prodigal son becomes the scapegoat."
When it comes to a tightly contested division race, every game and at-bat matters because unexpected losses or slumps could be what determines the winner. If Correa reverts to his Twins form when the Astros need him the most.
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