Houston Astros Starter ‘Ahead of Schedule” In Tommy John Recovery
Luis Garcia has been out for nearly a year after he underwent Tommy John surgery.
But on Monday the Houston Astros starter made his way to the bullpen at Minute Maid Park and threw 15 pitches off the mound as the Astros were preparing to host the Toronto Blue Jays.
That was a big step for Garcia, one that puts him “ahead of schedule,” per the Athletic, in his recovery from the surgery.
The belief has been that Garcia could be ready to help the Astros in the second half of the season. A typical recovery from Tommy John surgery is anywhere from 12 to 18 months, depending upon how a player recovers.
Last season Garcia made six starts and went 2–2 with a 4.00 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 27 innings. But, on May 1, he left a start right elbow discomfort after only eight pitches. It took Astros trainers and doctors just four days to figure out that Garcia needed Tommy John surgery.
Garcia made a brief appearance with the Astros in 2020, but he emerged as a quality starting option in 2021 when he went 11-8 with a 3.48 ERA.
For his MLB career he is 28-19 with a 3.61 ERA.
The Astros could certainly use reinforcements. Jose Urquidy has played catch a couple of times in the past few days as he recovers from a forearm issue that cropped up during spring training. The Astros are also hopeful they’ll get Justin Verlander back from a shoulder issue soon.
There is also Lance McCullers Jr., who is on a similar return timeline as Garcia due to a different injury.
MATTHEW POSTINS
Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers the Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros for Sports Illustrated/FanNation. He also covers he Big 12 for Heartland College Sports.