Third baseman Carlos Correa was cleared Tuesday to take a significant next step in his attempt to return to the Houston Astros this year from ankle surgery.
Correa, who had surgery in early May for a torn peroneus brevis tendon, had a doctor's appointment Tuesday at which he was cleared to increase his baseball activities. The plan is for Correa to report to the Astros' minor-league facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., this weekend to begin that ramp-up.
"From the moment I had the surgery, my plan has always been to try to get back and play this year," Correa said Tuesday. "So now that we're going to ramp up for real and see how the foot's going to respond, this will be a real test for us to see if we can come back and play."
Correa has increased his activity over the past month while rehabbing in Houston. He is hitting against a pitching machine, taking ground **** and sprinting at "95%" at this point, he said.
Correa has not run bases or faced live pitching, two significant hurdles that would be part of his program in Florida. He will not be playing in games there immediately, as there are still boxes he must check.

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