Lance McCullers Jr. hasn’t pitched since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series, while Luis Garcia’s last MLB game was on May 1, 2023. The long layoffs for both Astros right-handers will extend at least a bit into the coming season, as Houston GM Dana Brown told the Athletic’s Chandler Rome (multiple links) and other reporters that neither pitcher is expected to be ready for the Opening Day roster. Both McCullers and Garcia are throwing, however, so Brown doesn’t think either righty will sidelined for too long into April.
Garcia underwent a Tommy John surgery in May 2023 and was initially expected to be back in action near the end of last season. He started a minor league rehab assignment last June and was seemingly on the path to making that timeline, yet some lingering soreness between outings led to a pair of shutdowns, and the Astros ultimately announced last August that Garcia wouldn’t pitch in 2024.
Garcia shed some more light on his situation when speaking with Rome today, saying that some tightness in his throwing elbow in September led to a six-week shutdown for evaluation. Fortunately, Garcia emerged from that latest setback without any serious injury, and now says he is feeling good as Spring Training approaches.
McCullers has battled injuries throughout his career, including a Tommy John procedure that cost him all of the 2019 season. A right flexor tendon strain cost him most of the 2022 season before he returned that August to pitch in the Astros’ rotation down the stretch, and over three playoff starts during Houston’s run to the World Series title.
Heading into the 2023 campaign, McCullers developed a muscle strain during Spring Training, and then more flexor tendon damage emerged during his rehab process, leading to a surgery in June 2023. He started a throwing program last summer that included some proper bullpen sessions, but like Garcia, McCullers also had trouble fully recovering in between outings.
McCullers didn’t progress far enough to start a rehab assignment in the minors, so he is now over two years removed from any game activity whatsoever. It isn’t known why McCullers won’t be ready for Opening Day, unless it is simply because the Astros want to give him as much ramp-up time as possible to prepare after such a long time away from game action. Given how many setbacks both pitchers have already endured, it can’t help but be viewed as something of a red flag that Garcia and McCullers will again…
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