It has been a long road back for Luis Garcia, but the Astros may finally be getting their starter back in the rotation. Garcia, who had Tommy John surgery in 2023, has not pitched in the majors since May 1 of that year. After more than two years of recovery, he could be on the mound again as soon as this weekend when Houston faces the Los Angeles Angels, according to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome.
Garcia has been on a rehab assignment since July 7, making nine starts in the minors to build up his arm strength. His most recent outing at Triple-A Sugar Land was his best yet. He threw six innings, gave up just one run, struck out five, and looked very close to game-ready. Across the assignment, he has posted a 3.30 ERA with 38 strikeouts and only seven walks over 30 innings, showing strong command and progress.
Normally, pitchers are capped at 30 days on a rehab assignment, but Garcia’s case is different. Because he is coming back from Tommy John surgery, MLB rules allow him up to 60 days if both sides agree to extensions. That window closes on September 5, when the Astros take on the Rangers. But with Garcia stretched out to nearly a full workload, it looks like Houston won’t need to wait that long.
The Astros already considered bringing Garcia back before their last road trip, but they gave him two extra starts in the minors to make sure he was fully ready. Now, with the team running a six-man rotation during a stretch of 13 straight games, Garcia could either slot in directly or pair up in a piggyback role with Christian Javier or Spencer Arrighetti, who are also coming off injuries.
Houston currently sits atop the AL West with a slim 1.5-game lead over the Mariners. With Garcia’s return and other arms getting healthier, the Astros are starting to look like a team that could be peaking at just the right time. The postseason is around the corner, and Luis Garcia may be arriving just in time to give them a major boost.
