Correa plays first game in Houston since trade as Bregman visits for first time

HOUSTON (AP) — Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman were back at Daikin Park on Monday.

But while Correa was making his triumphant return home after the recent blockbuster trade that brought him back to the Houston Astros from the Minnesota Twins, Bregman was in the ballpark for the first time as a visitor after signing with the Boston Red Sox this offseason.

Houston held off a late rally to win the opener of the three-game series 7-6.

Bregman was honored with a pregame video welcoming him back to Houston and highlighting his many accomplishments with the team.

“Really cool,” he said. “Great moment, just tried to soak it all in. (Red Sox manager Alex Cora) told me to enjoy it and I really tried to. It was a special moment.”

He received a nice ovation then and before his first at-bat in the first inning. But after he slugged a two-run homer in that at-bat, the home crowd heartily booed him each time he came to the plate.

“It was great,” he said with a laugh when asked about the boos. “I loved it. I was hoping they would.”

The Astros put a picture of Correa with the words: ‘Welcome Home’ on the big screen before his first at-bat in the bottom of the first. He received a standing ovation from the crowd of 39,330 and stepped away from the plate to tip his batting helmet to the fans.

He was overcome with emotion, but had to get himself together quickly with Garrett Crochet on the mound.

“I got chills and I almost felt like crying,” Correa said. “But I was like I cannot cry before facing a possible Cy Young winner. So keep it together. But it was it was truly special to see how much love this city has for me.”

Correa hit an RBI single Monday to help Houston to the win.

Bregman, drafted second overall by the Astros in 2015, spent his first nine seasons in Houston where he helped the team to eight playoff berths, including seven trips to the AL Championship Series, four World Series appearances and two championships. The third baseman was named an All-Star twice in Houston, won a Gold Glove last season and a Silver Slugger Award in 2019 when he came in second in AL MVP voting.

Bregman was asked about the timing of them both returning to Houston on the same day.

“I was shocked at the news during the trade deadline and it was awesome and it looks like he’s fit right back in,” Bregman said. “He’s a great player, a leader, great teammate. It’s always difficult to compete against him because he’s such a good competitor, but we’re gonna give it our best shot today.”

Correa, who waived his no-trade clause to return to Houston, is back after playing for the Twins since 2022. The top pick in the 2012 draft, he spent his first eight seasons with the Astros, pairing with Bregman for many of those years to transform the Astros from league laughingstock to perennial contender. He’s been great in the nine games since the trade and entered Monday batting .405 with 15 hits, including two homers and six RBIs.

He said returning to the team where his career began after being gone for four years is surreal.

“It’s a second chance to come back here and put on this uniform and it’s a chance that I will never take for granted,” he said. “I’m gonna go out there and give it my best every single day I go out there.”

Correa, who has been slowed by injuries in recent years, said he’s feeling rejuvenated since rejoining the Astros and moving to third base after spending his entire career playing shortstop.

“Being at third base I don’t get as tired, so I feel like my legs are a lot fresher,” he said.

Bregman, who spent years playing third base in Houston while Correa was at shortstop, has no doubt that he’ll excel at his new position.

“He’s going to do great over there,” Bregman said. “He’s got an incredible arm. We always used to say if he catches the ball, the guy is out because of how good the arm is and he’s going to make the transition great. He’s a Platinum Glove winner at shortstop, so third base should be pretty easy for him.”

Though Bregman faced the Astros recently in Boston when the Red Sox swept a three-game series, he admitted that Monday would be emotional because of all the memories he made here. He spoke of what stuck out to him the most from his time in Houston.

“I’d say the championships and just seeing how resilient the city is and how it comes together when times are tough,” he said. “And the people are great, my teammates, the coaches, everything, all the memories in the clubhouse, busting our tail trying to find a way to win a baseball game every single day, the everyday grind of it, it was fun for us.”

As for Correa, he’s soaking up every minute of being back with the team. The best part, he said, is reuniting with close friend and second baseman Jose Altuve.

“As soon as I got to Boston, I gave him a big hug and I told him I missed him,” Correa said. “He’s an unbelievable player, but the human side of it, I get to hang out with him after the games, we get to go eat after the games (and) we just talk shop. It’s something that I definitely missed a lot and I get to do it again so I’m not gonna take it for granted.”

Altuve shares his sentiments.

“I’m really excited he’s back,” he said. “I really enjoyed my time playing with him and I’m going to enjoy playing with him again and we’re all excited about him.”

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