Houston Astros right-hander Luis Garcia will make his long-awaited return to the majors on Monday, starting the series finale against the Los Angeles Angels at Daikin Park, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. It’s been more than two years since the 28-year-old last took the mound, last pitching on May 1, 2023, before undergoing Tommy John surgery later that month.
Garcia began throwing live bullpen sessions in May 2024 and progressed to two rehab starts in July of that year, but recurring elbow soreness forced him to shut down for the remainder of the season. In early 2025, inflammation again delayed his progress during spring training. It wasn’t until July 7, 2025, that Garcia officially resumed a rehab assignment with Houston’s rookie-level affiliate in the Florida Complex League.
Since then, he has made nine minor-league appearances, steadily increasing his workload. His last outing came on August 26 with Triple-A Sugar Land, where he threw 75 pitches over six innings, allowing one run on four hits, striking out five, and walking one. Across 17 1/3 innings at Triple-A, Garcia posted a 2.60 ERA, showing encouraging signs of readiness.
Garcia’s return comes as Houston looks to stabilize its rotation heading into the final month of the regular season. The Astros remain atop the AL West but haven't been at their best since the trade deadline, going 13-15 in August. Their lead has been preserved largely due to the Seattle Mariners’ slump, as Seattle dropped 11 of its last 17 games to close the month.
In Garcia, Houston regains an arm that has been pivotal in past campaigns. Signed out of Venezuela in 2017, he made his big-league debut in September 2020. By 2021, Garcia had emerged as a rotation regular, finishing second in AL Rookie of the Year voting after logging a 3.48 ERA across 155 1/3 innings with 167 strikeouts. He followed with a 3.72 ERA in 157 1/3 innings in 2022, contributing to Houston’s World Series title run. Overall, from 2020 to 2023, Garcia made 69 appearances (all but one as a starter), compiling a 28–19 record, 3.69 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 364 strikeouts across 352 innings.
The Astros’ rotation picture remains fluid. Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez lead the staff, while Cristian Javier has only recently returned from his own Tommy John recovery. Spencer Arrighetti has shown promise after recovering from a broken thumb, and Jason Alexander has provided steady innings. Rookie Brandon Walter will likely be back from an elbow injury in late September, while Lance McCullers Jr. has shifted to the bullpen following struggles as a starter.
