CHICAGO -- As much as with any top prospect, the key word with shortstop Carlos Correa's arrival in the majors might well have been "anticipation." Since the day he was drafted first overall, in 2012, Houston Astros fans have been waiting, the organization has been planning for this day, and both have invested hope that he's an infield answer they can build around. They're in first and they don't have a shortstop, and after he tore up the minors, the time for him is now.

Racing to start his future as a big league ballplayer, Correa joined the team with little more than three hours of sleep under his belt. So now that he's finally here, there was some irony in the fact that three years since he was initially drafted, his debut was nevertheless put off just that extra little bit longer by rain that started pouring down between the national anthem and first pitch. His debut turned into an exercise in "hurry up and wait," especially after a second rain delay stalled the game in the bottom of the third inning.

"Long day for Carlos," observed Astros skipper A.J. Hinch after the game, noting, "he handled himself as expected. He's a big-leaguer from the first day, he looked the part in every facet. We're happy to have him, he makes us better and he'll fit in nicely."

And all he had to do after three years of anticipation? Face White Sox ace Chris Sale, who has been white-hot on the mound and who would whiff 14 Astros on Monday night in a 3-1 Chicago win.

"It was a crazy day," Correa said. "Go out there, warm up, get ready for the game, get rained out, rain delay, and then just go back out there 30 minutes later, stretch again, another rain delay. So it was just a crazy day, but I went out there and had fun no matter what the circumstances."

Correa's first real chance to do something was when he stepped up to bat in the second. Having to face a lefty who can deal high-90s heat in your first game? Better get used to it -- and to the best kind of stuff. Sale started Correa off with a nasty slider for a called strike, drawing weak contact on a changeup on pitch No. 2. Result? A lazy pop to third base in foul ground.

With two men on and two outs, Correa's second at-bat was instantly important for the Astros. Houston might lead the majors in home runs, but situational hitting from its lineup of swing-and-miss sluggers hasn't been a strong suit; they'd hit just .225 with runners in scoring position coming into Monday's game. Sale had already whiffed sluggers Evan Gattis and Chris Carter, putting Correa on the spot to make contact from the No. 6 slot in the lineup. The at-bat didn't last any longer than his first time up in terms of time in the box -- another first pitch looking (a ball on a low fastball), a second pitch grounded to the right side. Correa legged it out and beat Alexei Ramirez's throw only to see first-base ump Larry Vanover blow the call, right up until replay saved the day, giving Correa his first hit and RBI, plating Jonathan Villar.

"I knew for sure I was safe," Correa said. "I was just looking for a fastball, but I was out front, so maybe it was a changeup. But he was throwing all his pitches for strikes today, and all of his pitches were working, he did a pretty good job. I'm just glad I got the hit out of the way."

"I don't know if that was the first-ever first major league hit [on an ump] overturned, but if it was, it belongs to Carlos," Hinch said.

Ultimately, Correa would take all four of his first pitches, grounding out to second on another changeup from Sale his third time up. But perhaps as one of the few Astros Sale didn't strike out, he wasn't worried about not having made great contact.

"He's a great pitcher," Correa said of Sale. "You've got to be able to stick with your approach and not swing at the pitches when he wants you to swing. It's pretty tough to do when you get up there and he's throwing 97-98, changeup, slider; you just have to go up there and battle and do your best every time you step up to the plate."

In the field, Correa's first chance was on a Carlos Sanchez grounder in the third, charging in to fire cross-body to make a nice assist. He made an especially good throw in the bottom of the eighth to get Adam Eaton, ranging far to his left beyond second base, spinning and firing to first to end the inning, giving Hinch something else to feel good about.

"He made that play in spring for us," Hinch said. "Our guys have told us he's been making that play. He can make any play."

So for Correa, it was a nice night of firsts: First hit, first RBI, first rain delay ... and first case of the jitters, after all of the anticipation? As if.

"The nerves never kicked in," Correa said with a smile. "I was just enjoying it, just having fun. The guys helped me a lot: [Jose] Altuve, [George] Springer, telling me it's just the same game in a different place. So I just went out there and had fun."

Whatever else, Monday's game at The Cell was an immediate validation of the Astros' draft strategy in 2012. Picking Correa over Byron Buxton or Kyle Zimmer or Mark Appel* was considered controversial for some, even derided as a signability selection by others when they signed him for $4.8 million ($2.4 million below slot). But Correa is here now and playing shortstop for a contender that needed him to; none of the others are up yet. And if having money in the till helped them afford picking and signing Lance McCullers (for $2.5 million) 40 picks later in that same draft, so much the better -- McCullers made his fifth big league start for the Astros on Monday night and was dealing his own gem, striking out seven men in seven innings. He was just on the wrong end of a Sale masterpiece.

But now that Correa is here, too, the Astros can stop anticipating and stick to enjoying the present.

"There is nothing he can't do on a baseball field," Hinch said, summing up his once and future shortstop's first day of work. "He's got to learn and grow and mature, like any 20-year-old getting to the big leagues, but that play doesn't surprise me. I'm proud of him, how he handled himself. His tempo and pace of play today was like he'd been here for the entire season, so he's going to fit in well."

*: And how much sweeter still, considering Appel elected to return to Stanford and was back on the board for the Astros to select first overall in 2013? We'll see; Appel still has to turn the corner at Double-A this year.

Christina Kahrl writes about MLB for ESPN. You can follow her on Twitter.