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The Houston Astros are excited to have Lance McCullers Jr. back in the mix and he's already showing his brilliance in spring training. However, McCullers' teammate, Luis Garcia, isn't having as much success in his return from injury.
Garcia underwent Tommy John in May of 2023 and has thrown just under 10 innings in Grapefruit League action so far, but he's now dealing with new discomfort in his throwing elbow and Astros skipper Joe Espada said the team is shutting him down entirely in the light of this new issue, per Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle.
The right-hander was eyeing a return last summer and was getting innings in the minor leagues but suffered yet another setback and eventually shifted his focus to 2025. Considering he had surgery nearly two years ago at this point, it's far from ideal. He seemed to be on a good path in his recovery before this latest update. Team doctors will evaluate Garcia and the Astros will decide where to go from there.
While this is brutal for Garcia and Houston, they have more than enough depth in their rotation. McCullers Jr is looking great, while Framber Valdez, Ronel Blanco, Hunter Brown, and Spencer Arighetti are all going to get starts. McCullers may not be in the rotation right away but with time he will.
Although Garcia has never been a star at the MLB level, he's certainly posted respectable numbers, compiling a career 3.61 ERA and a 28-19 record. His best season came in 2021, going 11-8 with a 3.48 ERA in 28 starts. Cristian Javier, another key arm for the Astros, is also recovering from UCL surgery.
There's really no telling when Garcia could be back on the hill but feeling discomfort in the same surgically repaired elbow is the worst-case scenario. Needless to say, Houston will play it cautious with him, even if that means not getting on a big league mound again until mid-season.
