The Houston Astros sit alone atop the American League West with a 76-75 record after beating the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Tuesday night.
They hold a one-game edge over the Texas Rangers, who stand at 75-76. Seattle trails by 6.5 games while the Athletics and Angels remain far back.
Carlos Correa will miss the rest of 2026
Manager Joe Espada confirmed that shortstop Carlos Correa will not return this season. Correa underwent ankle surgery in May and had been working toward a late-season comeback.
The team decided the workload during rehab was too much, so he will rest fully and aim for Opening Day 2027.
Recent form and key contributions
Jeremy Pena sparked the latest win with home runs in his first two at-bats. Yordan Alvarez added his 39th homer of the year. The victory improved Houston to 76-75 and kept them in first place in a tight division race. The Astros host the Royals again on Wednesday before facing Atlanta later in the week.
The club has shown resilience despite missing Correa for most of the second half. Their pitching and timely hitting have kept them in the playoff picture, currently holding one of the top wild-card spots as well.
With only a few weeks left, every game matters as they try to lock down the AL West title. Fans will watch closely to see if the current group can maintain the slim lead without their veteran leader on the field.
