Astros' Correa, Giles skipped White House ceremony

Two notable members of the World Series champion Houston Astros did not take part in celebrations at the White House.

All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa - the first Puerto Rican to ever be drafted No. 1 overall - did not accompany the team to Washington, D.C. on Monday, according to Daniel Gotera of KHOU TV, where President Donald Trump honored them for last year's championship run.

Reliever Ken Giles didn't attend either, reports Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle. The team told Solomon that both players were absent because of family obligations.

"You'd have to talk to him about that," Astros owner Jim Crane said after the ceremony when asked about Correa's absence, according to ESPN's Marly Rivera. Crane did not address Giles' situation.

The Trump administration has been criticized for its response after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico last fall. Correa has been at the forefront of helping bring aid to his island, and even worked with the Astros owner's shipping company to send a cargo plane full of supplies to the U.S. territory in October.

Carlos Beltran, another Puerto Rican member of the 2017 Astros who didn't attend Monday's ceremony, said in February that he was "disappointed" in how Trump had handled the situation in Puerto Rico. But the now-retired outfielder also stated last month that his decision to skip the White House visit was not politically motivated.

Besides Correa, Beltran, and Giles, a large contingent of Astros players, coaches, and executives did attend Monday's ceremony, including AL MVP Jose Altuve and All-Star right-hander Justin Verlander. Both Crane and manager A.J. Hinch spoke to the assembled crowd following the president's remarks, while outfielder Josh Reddick presented Trump with a personalized No. 17 Astros jersey as a gift on behalf of the team.

(Courtesy: Getty Images)

Trump praised both the Astros' run to the World Series title and their work in the Houston community following Hurricane Harvey. He also singled out several players individually, and even took some time to praise Verlander's skills on the golf course.