The Houston Astros announced Thursday that pitcher Luis Garcia underwent an MRI, which revealed inflammation in his right elbow. As a result, he will remain shut down from throwing indefinitely. Garcia, who suffered a setback late in spring training while working his way back from Tommy John surgery, will be re-evaluated in four weeks, according to the team.
Luis Garcia’s second opinion showed “inflammation in his right elbow,” according to the Astros. He will be shut down and reevaluated in four weeks, the team said.
— Chandler Rome (@chandlerrome.bsky.social) April 3, 2025 at 1:04 PM
He was initially shut down on March 20 due to elbow soreness, just before he was set to face hitters for the first time this spring.
Manager Joe Espada said last week that Garcia had been evaluated by team doctors and sought a second opinion. According to Espada, the initial assessment brought “decent news.”
Luis Garcia’s Injury is Another Setback in Recovery
Garcia missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2023. The injury came after he made six starts that year. Chandler Rome of The Athletic notes that Garcia resumed throwing to hitters last October without any issues throughout the offseason. The Astros even considered him to be ahead of fellow long-injured right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. in their respective rehabs. However, today’s setback for Garcia marks an abrupt departure from that thinking.
In Garcia’s absence, the Astros relied on a revolving door of pitchers last season, using 12 different starters. Hunter Brown (30 starts), Ronel Blanco (29), Framber Valdez (28) and Spencer Arrighetti carried the workloads. Meanwhile, Houston lost key starters Cristian Javier and J.P. France to serious injuries early in the season.
Garcia, an international free agent from Venezuela, rapidly rose through the Astros’ minor league system, jumping from Class-A to the majors during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He quickly established himself as a workhorse, appearing in 58 games (56 starts) from 2021-22. Over that stretch, Garcia went 26-16 with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP across 33 2/3 innings.
As of now, Astros starters boast a 3.71 ERA, ranking 7th in the American League. Their 37 strikeouts are tied for third in the league with the Athletics, and their 1.03 WHIP ranks fourth. Most impressively, they lead the AL with a strong .157 opponents’ batting average, showcasing their ability to limit hitters.
Main Photo: © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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