Astros starter Luis Garcia won’t pitch within the majors this season, supervisor Joe Espada advised the workforce’s beat (X hyperlink by way of The Athletic’s Chandler Rome). Garcia has hit just a few snags in his build-up from final Could’s Tommy John process. The righty will resume throwing this weekend however is now not pursuing a 2024 comeback; he’ll flip his consideration absolutely to preparing for subsequent spring.
Garcia set out on a rehab task in late June, which is correct consistent with the usual 13-14 month restoration from Tommy John surgical procedure. The stint didn’t go as deliberate. Houston pulled him off the task across the All-Star Break after he had a tricky time bouncing again between outings. The Astros deliberate to ship Garcia again out shortly after the deadline, however he reported extra soreness popping out of a bullpen session and was shut again down.
Neither setback appears indicative of a long-term concern. They’ve been sufficient to maintain Garcia from logging the mandatory workload to get himself into MLB recreation form earlier than 12 months’s finish although. Early within the 12 months, GM Dana Brown had pointed to Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. as potential late-season returnees to strengthen the rotation depth. Neither participant will make a giant league look in 2024. McCullers additionally battled lingering arm soreness and is anticipated to overlook the complete season.
These accidents — paired with this 12 months’s season-ending arm procedures for Cristian Javier and José Urquidy — made it mandatory for Brown and his employees so as to add a starter on the deadline. They did so by sending a three-player bundle headlined by Jake Bloss to the Blue Jays for Yusei Kikuchi. It was a hefty value, however Kikuchi has had a incredible begin to his Houston tenure. The hard-throwing southpaw has allowed solely 5 runs in 16 2/3 innings throughout three appearances. He has fanned 24 of 66 opponents whereas producing swinging strikes at a large 15.3% clip.
Kikuchi isn’t the one midseason reinforcement. The Astros have been with out Justin Verlander because the center of June due to neck discomfort. Espada advised the beat that Verlander will take the ball on Wednesday towards the Pink Sox (relayed on X by Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle). The long run Corridor of Famer tossed 4 innings and logged 57 pitches in a rehab begin at Double-A Corpus Christi final Thursday.
The Astros evidently don’t really feel he’d profit from another minor league begin and can give him his subsequent look at Minute Maid Park. Houston has pushed their lead on the Mariners within the AL West to 4 video games. In the event that they lock down a playoff berth, Verlander would be a part of Kikuchi, Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown and probably Ronel Blanco within the combine for postseason begins.
Verlander will come up properly in need of 140 innings this season, which means he won’t unlock a $35MM participant choice. He’ll be a free agent this offseason, as will Kikuchi. Garcia stays underneath arbitration management by way of 2026. Since he didn’t pitch this season, he’ll probably match this 12 months’s $1.875MM wage. Valdez and Urquidy are eligible for arbitration as properly (although the latter is a non-tender candidate). Brown and Blanco are nonetheless of their pre-arbitration seasons, whereas Javier will make $10MM subsequent 12 months and is underneath contract by way of 2027.
