Carlos Correa Placed on 10-Day IL by Twins After Injury Diagnosed as Oblique Strain

The Minnesota Twins placed shortstop Carlos Correa on the 10-day injured list Saturday due to a right oblique strain, according to ESPN.com.

Correa suffered the injury during Friday's 8-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers, as he grabbed his side during his at-bat in the third inning. Correa struck out and was then removed from the game.

The 29-year-old veteran was off to a strong start this season, slashing .306/.432/.444 with one home run, four RBI and five runs scored in 11 games.

A two-time All-Star, one-time Gold Glove Award winner and one-time World Series champion, Correa is in the midst of his third season with the Twins.

Correa spent his first seven MLB seasons as a member of the Houston Astros after they took him first overall in the 2012 MLB draft, and he was a key part of them making six playoff appearances and three trips to the World Series during that time.

After enjoying one of his best seasons in 2021 with a .279 average, 26 homers and 92 RBI, Correa signed a three-year, $105.3 million contract with the Twins in free agency.

Following the 2022 campaign, Correa opted out, and he had agreements in place with the San Francisco Giants and then the New York Mets, but both of them fell through due to concerns about his medical history.

That ultimately led to Correa signing a six-year, $200 million deal to return to the Twins.

Correa helped the Twins win the American League Central and reach the playoffs last season by slashing .230/.312/.399 with 18 home runs and 65 RBI.

Minnesota is off to a slow start this season at 4-7, but Correa has been the least of the team's issues.

Among players who have appeared in at least two games this season, Correa is second on the team in batting average, tied for first in runs scored and tied for third in RBI. He is also tied for the team lead with 11 hits.

Correa represents the second major offensive loss the Twins have experienced already early in the 2024 season, as third baseman Royce Lewis was placed on the IL with a quad injury after just one game.

After Correa left Friday's game, he was replaced by Willi Castro. The speedster, who stole 33 bases last season, is hitting just .103 so far this season.

In addition to Castro, utility man Kyle Farmer will likely receive an uptick in playing time while Correa is out. The 33-year-old veteran has finished each of the past three seasons with double-digit home runs, but he is hitting just .063 with no homers and one RBI through eight appearances this season.