Arrighetti can't wait to call Correa 'teammate'

This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart’s Astros Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

MIAMI – Like many Astros fans, right-hander Spencer Arrighetti is fired up about Carlos Correa’s return to Houston. Arrighetti grew up in the Houston area and went to games at Daikin Park, and he has fond memories of the many big hits and outstanding defensive plays Correa made during his first stint with the Astros.

Arrighetti is set to come off the injured list Wednesday and take the mound against the Marlins at loanDepot park – his first start since April 5 – and he will be able to look over his shoulder and see Correa playing third base. It’s another one of the moments early in his career that Arrighetti calls “surreal,” even though he has had a relationship with Correa for a few years because they work out at the same place.

“I mean, I saw every big postseason moment of his,” Arrighetti said. “I saw every insane play, every big homer. We're really lucky to have him back, obviously. I'm sure the fans are very excited about it. I'm very excited about it. But, yeah, he's just another teammate right now, which is pretty cool. It's cool that I put myself in a position where I can say that.”

The return of Arrighetti, who fractured his right thumb when it was struck by a line drive while he tried to cover his head during batting practice April 7 in Seattle, is a big development for an Astros team that has eight starting pitchers on the injured list, including three who were in the rotation to begin the season. Of those three, only Arrighetti has made it back to pitch this year. (Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco had Tommy John surgery.)

Cristian Javier pitched 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball for Triple-A Sugar Land at Sacramento on Tuesday night, throwing 77 pitches (43 strikes) in perhaps his final rehab start. He could rejoin the rotation next week. Fellow right-hander Luis Garcia, who has been out since 2023, could be coming not long after that.

Arrighetti went 7-13 with a 4.53 ERA as a rookie in 2024, and he pitched better in the second half (3.18 ERA) than the first (5.63).

“It kind of feels like my debut all over again,” Arrighetti said. “It feels like it's been a long time since I've been up here.

“I wouldn't say I'm too nervous, necessarily. I feel very prepared. I feel like the plan that I had laid out for me when this all happened, I executed it to a T, and obviously I'm pitching again this year, which is what they told me as soon as it happened. So I'm definitely just really grateful. I feel like this opportunity doesn't necessarily come all the time to step into a big league stadium. I got reminded of that for four months, so I'm feeling a lot of things.”

One emotion that has been prevalent for Arrighetti in recent days is gratitude – so much so that he told manager Joe Espada when he rejoined the team in Miami that he would never take being in a Major League clubhouse for granted again.

“This is the best place in the world,” Arrighetti said. “This is the best job in the world, and I'm just feeling really lucky.”

Arrighetti made three rehab starts. He said his stuff was pretty good, and the feel for his pitches and his control got a bit better with each start. Arrighetti said he’ll probably be stretched out enough to throw 85-90 pitches Wednesday.

“I've been watching every game, and I see the state of the bullpen, and guys have thrown a little bit more,” Arrighetti said. “And I feel the internal pressure, and it's a standard I hold myself to – to make sure that those guys are going to be put in the best spots, and that I'm