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The Houston Astros made a stunning trade deadline move, landing Carlos Correa in a deal with the Minnesota Twins. Correa is headed back to the team he broke in with after four years in Minnesota. And, as luck would have it, he’ll square off against a familiar face upon his return to Houston.
The Astros open a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox on Friday. So Correa will play former Houston teammate Alex Bregman in his first game back with his old team, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
The Astros allowed Bregman to leave in free agency over the offseason and the veteran third baseman landed with the Red Sox on a three-year, $120 million contract. Correa and Bregman spent six seasons together in Houston, winning the World Series as teammates in 2017. Bregman would collect a second championship with the team in 2022, the year following Correa’s departure.
Carlos Correa prepares for strong second half in second stint with Astros
Houston replaced one Gold Glove shortstop with another as Jeremy Pena took over the position for Correa and won the award as a rookie in 2022. Correa received the honor in his final season with Houston in 2021. While Pena has been sidelined since June with a rib fracture, he’s expected to rejoin the team during the Red Sox series. Correa will move to third base in his Astros return.
After losing both Bregman and Kyle Tucker prior to the season, Houston has played surprisingly well in 2025. The team leads the AL West and is on track for its ninth straight playoff appearance.
Part of that success is due to a strong season from Isaac Paredes, who joined the Astros as part of the blockbuster Kyle Tucker trade. However, the Astros received a discouraging update on Paredes, who could miss most if not all of the second half with a hamstring injury.
With an opportunity for a deep postseason run, the Astros are bringing Correa back to take over third base duties with Paredes sidelined. The 11th-year veteran is hitting .267 with a .704 OPS this year. Correa has seven home runs, 31 RBI, 40 runs scored and a 92 OPS+ in 93 games with the Twins.
The Astros hope the 30-year-old All-Star will bounce back in his return. He’ll begin his second stint with Houston by going up against Bregman as the former teammates face each other as the starting third basemen for their respective clubs.
