Houston Astros right-hander Luis Garcia underwent a second Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, which included a reconstruction of his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and repair of his right flexor tendon, the team announced Friday (h/t Chandler Rome of The Athletic). This is Garcia’s second UCL reconstruction in three years, keeping him in the doghouse of elbow injuries that have kept him off the field.
The 28-year-old first underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023 after appearing in just six starts that season. After the surgery, he was caught in a cycle of recurring problems that prevented him from pitching in 2024 and much of 2025. He finally returned to the Astros’ rotation on September 1, 2025, making a six-inning start against the Los Angeles Angels, allowing three runs and three hits.
On September 9, in his second start against the Toronto Blue Jays, Garcia left in the second inning with right elbow discomfort, leading the team to put him on the 15-day IL and later transfer him to the 60-day IL. Houston had already indicated that Garcia would miss the 2026 season.
Garcia’s MLB career began as an international free agent from Venezuela, making a meteoric rise from High-A Fayetteville to the majors during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He wasted no time showing he could shoulder the bulk of the rotation, appearing in 58 games (56 starts) across 2021-22, compiling a 26-16 record with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP over 312⅔ innings. Overall, he has pitched 359⅔ innings in the big leagues with a 3.60 ERA.
Financially, Garcia earned $1.875 million during his second arbitration season in 2025 and has one year of team control remaining. Given his projected absence in 2026, the Astros may choose to non-tender him this offseason, though a two-year deal is a potential option, allowing him to bank money while rehabbing. Garcia joins a growing list of Houston pitchers undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2025, including Hayden Wesneski (May 23), Ronel Blanco (June 6), and Brandon Walter (September 23).
Deprived of the 2026 season by injury, Garcia is staring down the barrel of uncertainty, potentially following Jose Urquidy’s blueprint, who underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2024. The Astros outrighted Urquidy later that year, and he eventually signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Tigers. Should Garcia return to full health by 2027, he will be coming off nearly four years of limited MLB action, and there’s no telling if he can still bring his A-game.
