Astros place two-time All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa on COVID injured list

The Astros announced they’ve placed star shortstop Carlos Correa on the COVID-19 injured list. Fellow infielder Taylor Jones has been recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to take his spot on the active roster.

Correa has been sick, manager Dusty Baker told reporters, including Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle, before the team’s announcement of his IL placement. There’s no indication he’s actually tested positive for COVID-19; players can be placed on the COVID IL merely for feeling virus-like symptoms. There’s no minimum term for players on the COVID IL.

It has been a banner season for Correa, who’s bounced back from an average 2020 campaign to perform at an MVP-caliber level. The 26-year-old has hit a stellar .288/.385/.510 and popped 16 home runs across 358 plate appearances. He’s also played excellent defense at shortstop and already been worth around four wins above replacement in the estimation of both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference. Both outlets have Correa among the 10 most valuable position players in the league this season.