Astros' Correa: Skipped White House visit to help Puerto Rico

Houston Astros All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa was noticeably absent when the team visited President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday as the 23-year-old opted to use the day to help provide relief supplies to his native Puerto Rico.

"It was not politics or anything," Correa said Tuesday. "It was just that the day off was perfect to be able to provide some help for the people in Puerto Rico in need."

Puerto Rico is still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in September. Correa spent Monday with his fiancee, Daniella Rodriguez, finalizing a shipment of supplies that he hopes is ready to be sent to the island from South Florida by the end of spring training.

"I don't only represent the Houston Astros, I don't only represent my family, but I also represent the American citizens that are living in Puerto Rico," Correa said. "I just want to bring some awareness to what is going on.

"I didn't think it was right for me to go and talk to the president about Puerto Rico when we were going there for the team, for the amazing year we had and for what we brought to the city of Houston. It's an honor to be invited to the White House. I want to thank the president for all the help he provided to my second hometown, which is Houston, and some of the help he's provided to Puerto Rico, but we're still in need in Puerto Rico."

Carlos Beltran, Correa's teammate on the Astros last year and a fellow native of Puerto Rico, said in February he would be sitting out the White House visit and expressed disappointment toward the United States' relief efforts in the country following the hurricane.

"There's no doubt that I'm disappointed," Beltran said of the government's response. "I'm not the only one. There's a lot of people disappointed. We haven't some benefits. Being part of the United States, you expect to at least get the same benefits when tragedies like this happen. The fact that we haven't (gotten) those, yeah, it's a disappointment."

Closer Ken Giles was also absent Monday as the team said he had a family obligation.

--Field Level Media