WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Action greeted Carlos Correa in his first half-inning of Grapefruit League play this spring. From his third-base perch, Correa ranged back to catch a pop-up over his right shoulder for the first out of the Houston Astros‘ game against the Mets on Thursday. Bo Bichette grounded the next pitch to Correa’s left.

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Correa played the ball aggressively, darting in front of shortstop Jeremy Peña to field it and throwing to second base to start an inning-ending double play. Starter Tatsuya Imai halted on his way to the dugout to wait for Correa and second baseman Nick Allen, extending both high-fives. Manager Joe Espada also appreciated the play.

“Glove-side and that’s a tough throw because you’re … running full speed (toward) the second baseman and it becomes like a touch throw, which is not that easy,” Espada said. “And he made it look easy.”

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Both Correa and Espada said the play illustrated Correa’s growing comfort level at third base, a position the longtime shortstop had never played professionally before the Astros reacquired him at last year’s trade deadline. Correa made the midseason move adeptly but has still logged just 48 regular-season games at his new defensive home.

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“Just knowing the angles, knowing where Peña’s at, knowing hitters, all that is going to play a big part in playing third base at the highest level,” Correa said.

Correa handled charging plays at third base well last year (plus-four runs saved on them, per Sports Info Solutions) but rated lower on side-to-side plays, particularly to his left or glove-side (minus-three runs saved). Correa said he regularly worked on third-base defense this offseason at Daikin Park with Astros coaches to improve his grasp of the position.

His spring debut Thursday offered a few tests. Correa started two 5-4-3 double plays and fielded a short chopper to his backhand within the first three innings. Against at least one left-handed Mets hitter, the Astros shifted Peña nearly to the second-base bag, leaving Correa with a wide swath of ground to cover on the left side of the infield.

“I feel like that’s my position now,” Correa said, “and I can go out there and just play based on instinct. Today I think ground balls were handled the right way, I didn’t have to think too much. All the ground balls we’ve been taking in practice and I took in the offseason, that’s what I want is to just feel natural out there.”

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Correa played five innings Thursday, going hitless in two at-bats, and said “the body feels great.” Correa and first baseman Christian Walker made their spring debuts against the Mets. Jose Altuve is scheduled to make his first Grapefruit League start Friday as the Astros begin working their veterans into games.

“It’s good to get back out there,” Correa said.

This article originally published at Carlos Correa looks comfortable at third in spring debut for Astros. ‘That’s my position now’.