Houston Astros starting pitcher Luis Garcia needs Tommy John surgery, the team announced. Here’s what you should know:
- Garcia was placed on the 15-day injured list after being ejected with a sore right elbow in a 7-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants on May 1 against the Astros. He threw only his eight pitches and the team finished the game as confirmed by his trainer. at the top of the first inning.
- Garcia went 2-2 in 2023 with a 4.00 ERA through 27 innings.
- Coming into Friday, the Astros are 16-15 and currently third in the American League West.
athletic Instant analysis:
Injuries come after hot start to season
As is often the case, Garcia’s injury came after pitching in his fifth start Monday against the Giants. Garcia then threw three more times before realizing the severity of his injury. The 26-year-old right-hander has had to overhaul World Baseball this winter because he attended the Classic and Major League Baseball deemed it illegal during the pitch clock era. In both spring training and the regular season, Garcia said many times he felt “normal” with the new mechanics. Getting his start on a 13-inning scoreless streak he created against the Jays and Tampa Bay Rays. – Rome
How this affects Houston’s rotation
The news is devastating for a starting rotation that has not had much depth and is already weathering adversity. José Urquidy (shoulder inflammation) and Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm strain) are on the 15-day injured list, while Sean Dubin (one of four deep starters on the team’s 40-man roster) , was on the minor league injury list ahead of Friday’s injury list. A match with an unspecified injury.
The team will likely combine a rotation that includes JP France, Brandon Beerak and Hunter Brown. Birak is a veteran of just 98 1/3 innings in the major leagues, and France will make his major league debut on Saturday. Brown wonders how far Houston can push a promising rookie because he’s never pitched more than 125 innings in a professional season. – Rome
inside story
Garcia’s dismissal against the Giants came just hours after the Astros placed starter Urchidi on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder discomfort. Lefty Matt Gage replaced Garcia on the roster. .
Garcia made his MLB debut on September 4, 2020 with the Astros. In his career, Garcia has his 28-19 record, with an ERA of 3.61 for him and 364 strikeouts in 352 innings.
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(Photo: Troy Taormina/USA Today)