The Houston Astros made one of the biggest moves of the MLB trade deadline. They traded for Carlos Correa, who started his career in Houston and was on the Minnesota Twins. But the former first-overall pick is back, playing third base this time, and is on a long-term contract. Astros starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti has never played with Correa but was looking forward to it before his start on Wednesday.
“I mean, I saw every big postseason moment of his,” Arrighetti said, per MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. “I saw every insane play, every big homer. We're really lucky to have him back, obviously. I'm sure the fans are very excited about it. I'm very excited about it. But, yeah, he's just another teammate right now, which is pretty cool. It's cool that I put myself in a position where I can say that.”
Arighetti grew up in the Houston area and was drafted by his hometown team in 2021. By the time he made his debut last year, Correa was long gone. But he has gotten a chance to play with Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, and Alex Bregman. But now, it's Correa who will be helping him out on the mound.
Correa has some of the most iconic hits in Astros history. He hit walk-offs in the 2017 ALCS and 2019 ALCS, both against the New York Yankees. His career .282 batting average and .860 OPS in the postseason are buoyed by incredible runs in Houston. And now, a long-time fan will help them try and land a third World Series title.
Arrighetti struggled in his return to the mound for the Astros. He lasted 3.2 innings against the Miami Marlins, allowing 11 hits and five runs. It was his first start since April 5 thanks to a fractured right thumb. But just in time for the postseason run, the hometown kid is back.
