The Houston Astros are atop the American League West standings by two games over the Seattle Mariners. They are currently taking on the Toronto Blue Jays in a series that has seeding implications in the AL.
In Tuesday's game, Astros' starter Luis Garcia had to be removed from his start after just 1.2 innings pitched due to an apparent injury. Garcia missed the majority of the 2023 season and all of the 2024 season. He had Tommy John Surgery in May 2023, and that held him out until September of this season.
Astros' Luis Garcia exits from the game
It was just Garcia's second start since returning from that injury. He was set to return earlier in 2025, but a new burst of elbow inflammation kept him out several months. In his first start back on September 1st, he pitched six innings and allowed three runs on three hits against the Los Angeles Angels.
According to Chandler Rome, "Luis Garcia threw what Statcast classified as an 88 mph changeup and then immediately called for the trainers from the dugout. He left almost immediately. Garcia's velocity was down throughout the first two innings."
In 2021 and 2022, Garcia threw 155 and 157 innings, and has thrown 34.2 innings since. If it is as serious as it appears to be, the Astros will be without him for a while again.
Following the game, there will likely be a better timeline or diagnosis on what happened to Garcia. As for the Astros, with the close divisional race on with the Mariners, the bullpen will be heavily relied on to carry a large load of innings against the Blue Jays.
With his last rehab assignment featuring lengthy setbacks and elbow inflammation, the initial diagnosis from those who cover the team is that it's a serious injury.