Astros' Carlos Correa resumes batting activities

Astros' Carlos Correa resumes batting activities

DENVER — Carlos Correa resumed swinging a bat on Monday, texting video of his hacks off a batting tee to his manager with a favorable message.

"He told me he felt sexy," A.J. Hinch said Tuesday. "That was the exact text."

That Correa returned to swinging a bat is newsworthy. That he apparently felt no pain afterwards is more promising.

Correa's swings were the first since prior to the All-Star break, when he seemed to be on track for a rehab assignment and return to the club after dealing with his lingering lower back issue. The shortstop suffered a setback, though, which removed him from baseball activities until this week.

Tuesday's game against the Rockies was the 23rd Correa has missed since being placed on the disabled list on June 26.

Correa and catcher Brian McCann — who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on July 3 and is "very, very early" in his rehab process — played catch at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday, Hinch said.