What Carlos Correa brings in return to Astros

Carlos Correa makes his return to the Houston Astros in the three-game weekend series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Correa, who will play third base in his No. 1 uniform number, is coming back at an important time.

The Astros, who lead the Seattle Mariners by 4.5 games in the American League West Division, have been dealing with a boatload of injuries this season. 

At one point, they had 18 players on the injured list. The Astros have been missing slugger Yordan Alvarez for a few months this season, too. Correa has had his share of injuries in his career, but he's coming home after being with the Minnesota Twins.

Correa developed the skills of a leader during his first go-round in Houston. If anyone is looking for intangibles that Correa brings to the Astros, they might be pared down into three areas: Leadership, brotherhood and an ability to effectively communicate.

For instance, Correa helped the Astros' clubhouse in the fallout from an electronic sign-stealing scandal in 2020 and 2021.

One significant video clip happens to show Correa's leadership and communication skills quite well. During Game 6 of the 2020 ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays, Correa, with then-Astros third baseman Alex Bregman and catcher Martin Maldonado nearby, went on the mound to talk with starting pitcher Framber Valdez.