HOUSTON -- Astros shortstop Carlos Correa said he had to spend a few hours in the hospital getting intravenous fluids on July 9, which is why he missed the series against the Yankees that weekend. The Astros placed him on the injured list with an illness.

Correa, who returned to action last weekend against the White Sox, spoke about his illness Monday for the first time. He said he passed a COVID-19 test, which eased his worries, but he had to go to the emergency room after suffering a sore throat, runny nose and bad congestion, among other symptoms.

“I was miserable for at least three days,” he said.

Correa had already announced he was going to pull out of the All-Star Game last week after being voted in as a reserve, but taking a week off hasn’t been ideal. He went 0-for-11 in the three-game series against the A’s prior to the Yankees coming to town and followed that up by going 0-for-10 against the White Sox. He entered Monday in an 0-for-23 slump.

“It just messes with your timing,” Correa said of the layoff. “When you’re out for seven days, it’s tough. I didn’t see any pitching. It’s a weird time, and when you’re facing the White Sox pitchers, that doesn’t help either. At the same time, I feel like I’m really close. I feel like my swing is where it wants to be. It’s a matter of timing and hopefully, I get it this series.”