WEST SACRAMENTO -- After making just two starts following a 28-month absence following Tommy John surgery, Astros right-hander Luis Garcia is headed under the knife again in the coming days and will miss the entire 2026 season, manager Joe Espada said Wednesday.
Espada wouldn’t say the exact nature of the surgery.
Garcia left his Sept. 9 start against the Blue Jays in the second inning with right elbow discomfort and landed on the injured list the next day. Garcia winced immediately upon releasing an 88 mph pitch to Ernie Clement and appeared to point to his surgically repaired right arm while looking into the dugout.
Garcia returned to the mound Sept. 1 for the first time since May 1, 2023, and beat the Angels, allowing three runs and three hits, including two homers, in six innings.
Garcia underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023 and had a pair of setbacks in his attempt to return. He started a Minor League rehab assignment in June 2024, but he suffered a setback and was shut down in August. He was shut down again in March of this year with right elbow soreness before throwing a live batting practice session at Spring Training.
Garcia, an international free agent from Venezuela, jumped from High-A Fayetteville to the big leagues during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and quickly became a workhorse starter. He appeared in 58 games in 2021-22, including 56 starts, and was 26-16 with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP in 312 2/3 innings. He was injured in his sixth start in the 2023 season and had Tommy John surgery soon afterward.