5:06PM: Garcia left the game due to discomfort in his right knee, the Astros announced.
4:34PM: Astros starter Luis Garcia made an early exit from Game 2 of the ALCS, leaving with a possible injury in the second inning. After issuing a four-pitch walk to Kevin Plawecki to begin the frame, Garcia was visited on the mound by the team trainer, and ended up departing after consultation with manager Dusty Baker and pitching coach Brent Strom.
It has already been a nightmarish day for Garcia, who allowed four runs in the first inning thanks to a J.D. Martinez grand slam. Only 14 of Garcia’s 33 pitches were strikes, continuing the control problems that plagued his first postseason start — Garcia allowed three walks and five hits in 2 2/3 innings in Game 3 of the ALDS, a 12-6 Astros loss to the White Sox.
The 24-year-old Garcia entered the playoffs on the heels of a quality rookie season that will surely net him some AL Rookie Of The Year consideration. The right-hander posted a 3.30 ERA/3.91 SIERA and above-average strikeout (26.4%) and walk (7.9%) rates over 155 1/3 innings for Houston this season, starting 28 of his 30 games.
That solid form hasn’t continued into October, however, and now Garcia could be in danger of missing the World Series. If Garcia’s injury requires him to be substituted off Houston’s roster, Garcia would be ineligible to pitch for the next postseason round, should the Astros advance past the Red Sox.
The other major concern for the Astros is that if Garcia is seriously hurt, the team is running short on pitching. Lance McCullers Jr. (flexor pronator muscle strain) is already an omission from the ALCS roster and might not even be an option for the World Series if the Astros make it. Game 1 starter Framber Valdez lasted only 2 2/3 innings, requiring a big effort from Houston’s bullpen to salvage the victory. Jake Odorizzi took over for Garcia in relief, so the veteran’s availability for future games might be in question depending on how long he pitches today.
Jose Urquidy is scheduled to start Game 3 at Fenway Park, and Odorizzi’s usage today likely means that either Cristian Javier or Zack Greinke (who has been used as a reliever this postseason) will be starting Game 4. With the red-hot Boston lineup hitting everything in sight, the Astros pitching staff faces a tall order for the remainder of the ALCS.
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
Fever Enrique Hernandez is doing big things these playoffs. Do you still think 7 million for a utility guy is too much money for a declining player?
Astros might need a position player to pitch tonight.
Iverbure – If you look back I said all along he’s a very good postseason player because of what he did during his Dodger days.
Doesn’t change the fact the contract was an overpay at the time it was signed.
Obviously I’m very glad he has exceeded expectations during both the regular season and even the postseason.
I think the big question now is do the Sox sign him to an extension this winter, or let him re-enter free agency next year.
Or, is he really hurt?
After getting shelled in the first inning is it planned departure to give pretense to add mccullers back so he can pitch later the series?
Time will tell
GASox – If that happens, Garcia wouldn’t be eligible for the WS.
Even though I think it’s a moot point, they probably want Garcia to remain eligible.
Fever Pitch – I’m not sure…
On one hand Astros are thin on pitching. But on the other, Garcia went from one clunker vs CWS to a worse one vs BOS, with shorter outings each time. On a bigger WS stage, against even stronger opposing SP, running him out there against either LAD/ATL SP would be like conceding a game.
Based on the “you need to get there” approach, mccullers offers more than a bullpen garcia is likely to, especially given how he’s been hit over the last 2 outings.
I think the odds of seeing that replacement, if Lance/training staff say he can go, increase if BOS takes game 3.
It truly makes sense that your name would be Chad. Do you have a brother named Brit or a mom named Karen as well?
Thoughts and prayers for the Stros pitching staff. Gonna be huge, uphill battle to beat the RSox. As we all know, injuries are part of the game.
dodgers1958, By the Dodger clock in my head, Keekay should be ready to go cold by Game 1 of the World Series. In the meantime, may he continue to smack the Astros silly.
@dodger1958, true about the Astros pitching but don’t forget the Red Sox pen is horrible
TCS CBS rated the RSox one of the better bullpens in late innings. https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-playoffs-ranking-all-eight-bullpens-based-on-late-inning-confidence-levels-which-team-can-you-trust/
And overall rated the Astros Bullpen far worse in ERA over the 2021 season.
https://www.gamingtoday.com/news/these-mlb-bullpens-will-help-you-beat-the-odds/
So if the RSox pen is horrible that would seem to indicate that the Astros pen is worse than horrible.
Tcbaseball – A pen that includes Ottavino, Whitlock, Taylor, Houck and Pivetta cannot possibly be called “terrible”.
Hurt his knee watching all those balls flying around the park
Fake injury.
100%
He may have left due to his knee, but after that 1st inning he should have been gone anyway.
Yeah, sure. He left due to grand slam lack-of-control syndrome.
Or maybe his no hitterness tonight lmao.
If the Astros win with their lack of healthy pitching they should be proud. Karma of the ones before them is affecting their kiddos.
The Astros were shelled once in the division series. They can get a better pitcher than current Garcia, Solomon from the taxi squad. They can go Urquidy, Greinke (Javier), Solomon, Valdez, …they have options.
But of the other 3 games, 2 were pitched by mccullers…
dang funny on national TV a hurt kneed player could JOG down the steps into the tunnel to the locker room!
Well, any replacement has to be approved by mlb, so, you’d hope they would pick up on such a thing.
They’d dismiss it as a surge of adrenaline or increased sensitivity as time went by. Sort of a ‘I felt a twinge and they pulled me out of caution, but it got worse later’ sort of bs story.