Houston Astros right-hander Luis Garcia has suffered yet another setback in his return from Tommy John surgery.
The team shut down Garcia on March 20 due to elbow soreness in his throwing arm, and a recent MRI showed inflammation. He’s shut down from throwing indefinitely.
Via Brian McTaggart:
“RHP Luis Garcia received an MRI, and it revealed inflammation in his right elbow. He is shut down from throwing and will be reevaluated in four weeks.”
Another brutal update for Garcia. He had the operation in May of 2023 and has dealt with numerous setbacks since then. The righty was on a minor league assignment last summer but felt soreness in his elbow. The Astros had him face hitters in September, but he was shut down once again.
As McTaggart said, Houston will reevaluate Garcia in four weeks and see where he’s at. When healthy, the 28-year-old has been an effective starter in the Astros’ rotation. He made 56 starts between 2021 and 2022, compiling a 3.60 ERA. Garcia only made five appearances in ’23 before tearing his UCL, ultimately leading to surgery.
Honestly, considering he’ll be shut down for a minimum of four weeks, it feels unlikely Garcia will be back on the mound for the Astros in the first half. Barring any more setbacks, post-All-Star break seems realistic. He’ll need to begin a throwing program again, ramp up to live BP, then eventually, face hitters in games in the minors.
While this is far from ideal for Garcia, the Astros’ rotation will be fine. Lance McCullers Jr is finally healthy and should be back soon. He’s on a rehab assignment in the minors right now. Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, and Spencer Arrighetti headline the staff, followed by Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesnecki.
Houston is off to a 2-4 start and will face the Minnesota Twins this afternoon at Target Field.
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