The Houston Astros are hanging on by a thread in their AL West race with the Seattle Mariners at the moment, and they will have to try to pick up another win without one of their top players on Wednesday night. Houston will be without Carlos Correa when it looks to take the series from the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night in front of its home fans.

Despite this surprise absence, there is no reason for Astros fans to panic. Manager Joe Espada said that Correa is not dealing with an injury and this is just a planned off day, according to Chandler Rome of the Athletic.

“It is a planned day off for Carlos Correa, Joe Espada said,” Rome reported on X, formerly Twitter.

In his second stint with the franchise, Correa has primarily played third base after spending most of the season at shortstop with the Minnesota Twins. However, Houston has bumped him over to the hot corner since the big trade at the deadline. He has been on a tear since the deal, batting .364 in 11 games with two home runs and seven RBI. Espada and the Astros are hoping that keeping him fresh and healthy with days like this will prepare him for the postseason.

The Astros will be shooting for some revenge without Correa in the lineup after the Red Sox thumped Houston 14-1 to even the series on Tuesday night. Houston won the first game 7-6 at home on Monday and will be seeking the series victory on Wednesday without its star third baseman.

Coming into Wednesday night, the Astros are tied atop the AL West with the Seattle Mariners at 67-53. While Houston has been idling in neutral in recent times, the Mariners have been absolutely surging and are on one of the best runs in Major League Baseball. The Astros must find a way to reverse that momentum and start playing their best baseball if they want to stay atop the division.

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