Houston Astros starter Luis Garcia (elbow) has progressed to throwing live batting practice sessions while working out in Florida. Garcia underwent Tommy John surgery in May of 2023 and has struggled with multiple setbacks in his attempt to return. In March of this year, he was scratched from a scheduled bullpen session after feeling soreness in his pitching elbow. Since he hasn't pitched in a major league game in over two years, Garcia is likely still far away from returning to the mound. He was solid in a small sample size in 2023, pitching to a 4.00 ERA with a 27% strikeout rate in 27 innings pitched. However, the Astros will be cautious with Garcia even if he returns in 2025, and he may not see a fantasy-relevant workload this season.

Houston Astros right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) threw his first live batting practice session on Tuesday at Daikin Park before the team's game against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. Garcia threw 20 pitches in the outing as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery that kept him out all of last season. The 28-year-old Venezuelan hurler will need at least a couple more live BP sessions before he's cleared to begin what should be a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment. Barring any setbacks when Garcia begins pitching in games, he could be an option for the Astros' starting rotation at some point in August. He was a reliable member of the team's rotation before his elbow injury, but he made only six starts in 2023 and will likely be on a strict and limited workload when he returns to the big leagues later this season.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada reports that starting pitcher Luis Garcia (elbow) could throw live batting practice next week. The 28-year-old experienced a setback a few months ago when he dealt with soreness and inflammation in his surgically repaired elbow, though it's excellent news that Houston anticipates him throwing BP next week. It's a critical milestone in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. However, he'll still require quite a bit of time on a minor-league rehab assignment to build back up before he rejoins the roster. Garcia plans to do so in late July or early August, which could come to fruition if next week's session goes well. He should boost the Astros' rotation upon his arrival, but his workload will almost certainly be capped.

Houston Astros right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) threw 25 pitches in a bullpen session on Saturday in Florida, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome. Garcia is recovering from right-elbow surgery and isn't expected to be an option to come off the injured list until at least late July. The 28-year-old is making positive strides in his recovery, but the next step will be for him to be cleared to face live hitters before eventually going on what will be a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment. Garcia only made six starts in 2023 before undergoing Tommy John surgery in May, which caused him to miss all of last year. The Venezuelan hurler was a reliable piece of the Astros' rotation in both 2021 and 2022, recording a combined 3.60 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 324:97 K:BB in 312 2/3 innings. Garcia is likely to have a limited workload when he returns later this season.

Houston Astros starting pitchers Luis Garcia (elbow) and Cristian Javier (elbow) continue to progress in their return from Tommy John surgery, but each is still just throwing bullpen sessions and not ready to progress to live batting practice. Each pitcher is hoping to work towards a late-July or early-August return to the rotation, although they still have several steps before a firm timetable can be established. Since they have been out for a year, they will likely need long rehab stints to ramp up before they can offer any help to Houston's rotation or your fantasy team. Neither needs to be stashed at this point, but it's worth keeping an eye on them as they continue to progress in their recovery.

Houston Astros right-handed pitcher Luis Garcia (elbow) is dealing with inflammation in his right elbow. According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, Garcia will be shut down from throwing and will be reevaluated in four weeks. This is not a good sign for Garcia as he is working his way back from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in May 2023. Garcia was also dealing with elbow soreness earlier in camp. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his status, but this recent setback could push Garcia's timeline further back. As a result, the 28-year-old may not be an option until the second half of the campaign. In 2023, Garcia logged just 27 innings with a 4.00 ERA. During the 2021 and 2022 campaigns, Garcia logged a total of 312 1/3 innings to the tune of a 3.60 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. While he remains out, Hayden Wesneski should continue to see starting opportunities.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that starting pitcher Luis Garcia (elbow) will seek a second opinion on his sore elbow after visiting with doctors, per the Houston Chronicle's Matt Kawahara. The 28-year-old had Tommy John surgery in May of 2023 and has encountered multiple setbacks in his recovery. He was scheduled to throw a live batting practice session last Thursday, but was shut down. The various setbacks, coupled with the desire to see multiple doctors, may indicate even more missed time to come for Garcia. Fantasy managers should wait until definitive news comes out, but they should not plan on factoring Garcia into their roster plans.

Houston Astros right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) has been shut down with elbow soreness and will be seen by team doctors, according to manager Joe Espada. Garcia was originally scheduled to throw a live batting practice session in camp on Thursday. The 28-year-old Venezuelan hurler had Tommy John surgery in May of 2023 and has encountered multiple setbacks in his recovery, which kept him from pitching at all with the Astros in 2024. Another setback right before the start of the 2025 season is ominous news, but we'll have to wait and see what the team's diagnosis on his arm is. When healthy, Garcia should be locked into the Astros' starting rotation, but it could be a while before that comes to pass. In addition to missing all of last year, Garcia made just six starts for Houston in 2023 before being shut down. Even if he pitches in 2025, he's going to be on a strict innings limit.

Brian McTaggart of MLB.com notes that Houston Astros starting pitcher Luis Garcia (elbow) is set to throw a live batting practice session on Thursday. The 28-year-old hasn't pitched since May 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. It's been a long road to recovery for him, as he suffered multiple setbacks last season during his rehab. The Astros have played it slow with Garcia, but he reportedly looked sharp in a bullpen session a few weeks ago and could be turning a corner in his recovery. His next steps will be determined depending on how Thursday's session goes. While the timeline for his return is unclear, he could rejoin the team in a few months after being stretched out. Garcia racked up a 27% strikeout rate over six starts (27 innings) in 2023 before being shut down. He's little more than a late-round flyer in fantasy drafts for the time being.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Luis Garcia (elbow) looked sharp during a recent bullpen session on Thursday. Astros' manager Joe Espada said that Garcia is close to facing live hitters, which is great news. Garcia is still working his way back from Tommy John surgery. The Astros are going to take it slow and they've already said Garcia won't be ready for Opening Day. Possibly, Garcia is able to get into some spring training contests, but the Astros are going to wait and see how he progresses. Fantasy managers might have to wait a month or two before getting anything from Garcia.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Luis Garcia (elbow) was able to throw a successful bullpen session on Thursday. The right-hander will begin the season on the injured list as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery. The hope is that Garcia is able to contribute at some point during the summer. Before going down, Garcia was a viable option with a 3.61 ERA across 69 appearances during his MLB career. The team isn't going to rush him back to the mound considering he's coming off major surgery. He could be a factor down the road, but will probably miss at least the first month of the regular season.

According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, Houston Astros starting pitchers Luis Garcia (elbow) and Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) will not be ready for Opening Day. McTaggart noted that both pitchers are throwing but will need additional time before they are cleared for major league action. Garcia was sidelined during the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2023. McCullers underwent surgery to repair his right flexor tendon in June 2023. Garcia posted a 3.72 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP across 157 2/3 innings during the 2022 season. McCullers held a 3.16 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP through 162 innings during the same season. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor their status during spring training as they will both likely contend for a spot in the rotation when they are cleared to return. While they are sidelined, newly acquired Hayden Wesneski will likely have a spot in the rotation during the start of the season.

According to Ari Alexander of KPRC2, the Houston Astros and starting pitcher Luis Garcia (elbow) have agreed to a one-year, $1.875 million contract to avoid salary arbitration. The 28-year-old has been sidelined since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May of 2023. However, Garcia began throwing earlier in September, suggesting he should be expected to be ready for spring training. Across a small 27-inning stint in 2023, the right-hander held a 4.00 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. However, in 2022, Garcia posted a solid 3.72 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP across 157 1/3 innings of work. During that season, he posted a 24.0% strikeout rate with a 36.3% hard-hit rate and a 7.8% barrel rate. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his status leading up to Opening Day, but he should contend for a spot in the rotation if he is healthy.

Even though Houston Astros right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) was ruled out for the rest of the 2024 season last month, he is throwing bullpen sessions and is set to advance to live batting practice sessions as the end of the regular season nears. Garcia suffered a setback when he experienced a sore elbow on Aug. 2, which eventually ended his return from Tommy John surgery that he had in 2023. Before needing TJ surgery, Garcia had been a workhorse for the Astros in previous seasons. Houston was hoping that they could maybe have the 27-year-old as an option in the postseason, but that won't be the case. He made just two minor-league rehab appearances this summer before being shut down. If Garcia doesn't have any more setbacks this offseason, the Venezuelan hurler could be a nice fantasy sleeper with a career 3.61 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in four MLB seasons in Houston.

Houston Astros right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) will not pitch for the team for the remainder of the season, according to manager Joe Espada. Garcia will resume playing catch this weekend but is now aiming to be ready for the start of the 2025 campaign. The 27-year-old will now end up missing the entire 2024 season after having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in May of last year. He would have been able to return to Houston's starting rotation for the tail end of the season, if not for a few setbacks along the way during his recovery. As long as he doesn't have any more setbacks this winter or in spring training next year, Garcia should be ready to roll for the start of next season in April. The Venezuelan hurler has been pretty decent in his four big-league seasons for the Astros, posting a 3.61 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with a 25.3% strikeout rate, making him worth looking at for rotation depth in all fantasy formats.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said on Tuesday that right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) still isn't throwing. Garcia was originally scheduled to start a minor-league rehab assignment on Sunday but was shut down due to right-elbow soreness as he tries to work his way back from Tommy John surgery in May of last year. The fact that the 27-year-old has yet to resume throwing isn't great news, although the Astros are still optimistic that Garcia will return from the 60-day injured list before the end of the 2024 season. The Venezuelan hurler had a career-high 27% strikeout rate in just 27 innings last year before he was shut down with elbow issues and has a respectable 3.61 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 352 career innings for the Astros. However, with time running out this year, Garcia probably isn't going to be much of a fantasy option if he returns to the rotation in September.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) threw a 35-pitch bullpen session before Friday's series opener against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers and didn't have any issues. Garcia ramped up his workload on Friday after tossing 15 pitches in his previous bullpen session last Saturday. The 27-year-old continues to recover from Tommy John surgery and could be cleared to start facing live hitters soon. Eventually, he'll need to go on a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment before potentially joining the Astros' starting rotation to close out the 2024 campaign. Garcia has been a solid starter for Houston since debuting in the shortened 2020 season, but fantasy managers in mixed leagues should temper expectations once he returns on what will likely be a limited workload.

Houston Astros right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) is throwing out to 75 feet and is going to get back on a mound in a couple of days, according to general manager Dana Brown. It's good news after Garcia was pulled from his minor-league rehab assignment after making his last start on July 4 because he wasn't bouncing back the way he wanted. The 27-year-old is attempting to return from Tommy John surgery that he had last year and should return to Houston's starting rotation later in the second half of the season when he's sufficiently stretched out. The Venezuelan hurler would be a significant addition for a banged-up Astros starting rotation down the stretch, but fantasy managers in mixed leagues may want to temper their expectations because of Garcia's long layoff. In four major-league seasons, he's gone 28-19 with a 3.61 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 364 K's in 352 innings pitched.

Houston Astros right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) has been returned from his minor-league rehab assignment. Garcia, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery last May, hasn't pitched since July 4 at Double-A Corpus Christi. He made two rehab appearances with the Hooks but apparently didn't bounce back well from those outings, and his rehab assignment is now on pause. It's unclear when the 27-year-old Venezuelan hurler will be cleared to resume his rehab assignment, but when he does, he's probably going to need the full 30-day window before he's reinstated to the major-league roster. Whenever he does make his 2024 debut, fantasy managers will want to temper expectations. In four big-league seasons with the Astros, Garcia has gone 28-19 with a 3.61 ERA (3.79 FIP) and 1.16 WHIP with a 25.3% strikeout rate in 352 innings pitched.

Houston Astros right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) will make his second minor-league rehab start on Thursday for Double-A Corpus Christi, according to manager Joe Espada. Garcia's first rehab appearance was a one-inning outing last Friday in the Florida Complex League. The 27-year-old is on the rehab trail after undergoing Tommy John surgery, so he's likely to spend near the full 30 days on his rehab assignment before becoming available for a banged-up Astros rotation at some point in August. Fantasy managers will want to temper expectations when the Venezuelan hurler returns to the big leagues in the second half, but don't ignore him entirely. Garcia has a 3.61 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with a 25.3% strikeout rate in 352 innings in his four years in the majors after debuting for Houston back in 2020.