Carlos Correa headed for rehab assignment with Corpus Christi Hooks

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (KTRK) -- Carlos Correa is inching closer to his return with the Astros. The All-Star will head to Dallas to meet with the Corpus Christi Hooks for his rehab assignment. The Hooks are the Double-A affiliate of the Astros.

Correa is expected to play seven innings at shortstop on Thursday as the Hooks face off against the San Antonio Missions. He is hoping to return during the Astros' next home stand, which begins Aug. 9.

The absence of Correa has been felt on the field. He's been out since June 25 with back soreness. What was initially thought to be a minor injury turned into Correa missing a little over a month of action. He has slowly participated in drills during warm-ups, hoping to return sooner rather than later.

The Astros went 13-11 in the month of July and ended a five-game losing streak Tuesday night against the Mariners. Jose Altuve, Brian McCann and George Springer are also dealing with injuries.