HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – The Houston Astros must now rotate quickly for the remainder of their World Series title defense season after announcing major season-ending surgery for one of their young rotary pitchers.
Luis Garcia, who threw just eight pitches before leaving Monday night’s team’s win with a right elbow problem, will miss the remainder of the 2023 season to undergo ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery, commonly known as Tommy-John operation is known.
An operation date was not immediately set.
Astros general manager Dana Brown expects the 26-year-old to return sometime during the 2024 season.
Some of the team’s starting pitchers have had to deal with the potentially career-changing surgery in recent years.
Ex-Astros ace Justin Verlander famous ended his 2020 season after one start and didn’t play all of 2021 because he recovered from it, only to get back up in 2022 Win another American League Cy Young Award.
Current astro, Lance McCullers Jr., also underwent a Tommy John procedure ahead of the 2019 season. He returned in time for the 2020 postseason. He is currently on the 15-day injury list with a forearm injury but could soon return to the team.
Garcia’s elimination against San Francisco on Monday came one day after Platoonmate Jose Urquidy left his start against Philadelphia with a reported right shoulder infection. Urquidy is also on the 15 day IL.
Hours before the Garcia announcement, the Astros called starting pitcher JP France from Triple-A Sugar Land. He is scheduled to make his major league debut against Seattle on Saturday.