Astros right-hander Jose Urquidy will soon see Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas and may need a second Tommy John surgery, per a report from Alden González and Jeff Passan of ESPN, relayed by González on X.
The 29-year-old Urquidy has yet to pitch this season, opening the year on the injured list with a forearm strain. He went out on a minor league rehab assignment last month, but he was pulled from his latest appearance after experiencing renewed discomfort in his forearm area. Houston skipper Joe Espada said late last week that Urquidy and fellow right-hander Cristian Javier were seeking opinions from other doctors for their respective forearm issues — always an ominous development for a pitcher when dealing with a forearm/elbow injury.
This marks the third time in four seasons that Urquidy has spent time on the injured list, though this would obviously be the most significant injury of the bunch. Shoulder troubles limited him to 20 starts and 107 innings back in 2021, and he missed more than three months of the 2023 campaign with another shoulder injury.
When healthy, Urquidy is a solid big league arm. He was tagged for a 5.29 ERA last year, perhaps due to that shoulder injury, but has otherwise posted a sub-4.00 ERA mark in every big league season he’s pitched. He’s totaled 405 MLB frames and logged a 3.98 ERA. Urquidy’s 19.6% strikeout rate is about three percentage points shy of the league average, but he’s also posted an excellent 5.8% walk rate in the majors which has helped him to offset the relative lack of whiffs. He’s been prone to homers, as one might expect from an undersized right-hander with average fastball velocity, but his changeup has been an excellent pitch that’s helped him to hold left-handers to a woeful .203/.255/.364 slash in his career.
Urquidy is one of several Houston rotation options who’s missed time this year. Both Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez are healthy now but have had stays on the injured list. The aforementioned Javier just landed on the 15-day IL recently. The ’Stros have also been without righties Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. all season, with the former recovering from Tommy John surgery performed last May and the latter on the mend from flexor surgery performed last June.
The litany of injuries, paired with major steps back for right-handers J.P. France and Hunter Brown, has left Houston in what’s been an unfamiliar position for them in recent years: one of possessing a clear deficiency in the starting rotation. Starting pitching has been a hallmark of recent Astros clubs, but Houston starters rank 26th in baseball with a 4.69 ERA in 2024.
Brown has begun to right the ship after incorporating a new two-seamer into his repertoire, but he opened the season with 26 runs in 23 innings, so he has a ways to go before his numbers look respectable once again. France posted an ERA north of 7.00 and was optioned to Triple-A, where he’s since gone on the injured list with a shoulder injury. Rookie Spencer Arrighetti has been knocked around for a 5.98 ERA in his first nine MLB starts.
The quartet of Verlander, Valdez, Javier and breakout righty Ronel Blanco has combined for strong results this season, but Javier’s outlook is up in the air at the moment. Brown is holding down a rotation spot and can hopefully continue his recent stretch of productivity, but the depth behind the current group is suspect. Expected returns of Urquidy, McCullers and Garcia have been viewed as critical to the Astros as the summer wears on, but it now seems there’s a real chance Urquidy won’t make it back to the mound at all in 2024. Lefty Eric Lauer recently inked a minor league deal with the Astros but was hit hard in his first Triple-A start with the organization.
If Urquidy does go under the knife for the second Tommy John surgery of his career, he’ll miss the remainder of the 2024 season and likely the majority of the 2025 campaign as well. It seems quite possible that a surgery would end his tenure in Houston. He entered the 2024 season with 4.049 years of MLB service and will be paid $3.75MM this season, potentially spending the entire year on the injured list. He’d then be arbitration-eligible one final time this offseason before qualifying as a free agent post-2025. However, if Urquidy is going to miss the bulk of next season, the Astros would likely non-tender him rather than pay him what’d likely be a repeat of this year’s $3.75MM salary just to pitch the final couple months of next season in a best-case scenario.
I bet he said “no way, Jose.”
Gotta be urqed about it.
The “hindsighters” will all say but Monty sucks. Letting Click go was a mistake the day the decision was made.
This is where I miss Click: he would’ve made a couple of moves in the offseason to help offset the impact of something like this.
“Letting Click go”…What does the Astros being wrecked by numerous pitching injuries have to do with James Click? Is he some kind of witch doctor/sorcerer that can magically heal shoulders, forearms and UCLs? It should be said that the owner, Jim Crane, makes the key decisions in Houston not the GM.
mlb fan: I know Click tried trading Urquidy to Chicago for Contreras before Crane blocked it leading to the Abreu/Valdez for Vazquez trade. Abreu has been great for Boston this season while Urquidy hasn’t pitched at all this year and may miss most of next year as well.
The “hindsighters” will all say but Monty sucks. Letting Click go was a mistake the day the decision was made.
Letting Luhnow/Elias/Sig go was way worse than letting Click go. Especially when you see what Elias and Sig are setting up in Baltimore.
The signing of Montero and Abreu are largely attributed to Jim Crane and Jeff Bagwell. There’s a lack of financial flexibility given the payroll, and Crane favoring Baker instead of Click has enduring consequences for the team.
I do not think the comment “letting Click go” had anything to do with suggesting that pitching injuries and Click’s absence have much correlation.
Click would’ve noticed how banged the Astros rotation was to start the season and make couple of moves to help navigate the waters, and thus the rotation would’ve been better off in case something like this happens. That’s what Click has to do with this.
This FO is full of ass clowns. Bad decision after bad decision.
On the plus side, Victor Caratini has been an excellent signing.
This bad luck may be the payback for the cheating the team has done in the past
First day following the sport of baseball?
Its no coincidence the astros era is finally over
Players dropping like flies to injuries
Ineffectiveness across the board
Correa sucks
Springer sucks
Hinch managing 90 loss teams
Cora the same
Beltran rejected from HOF
Im a big believer in karma
Manfred did zilch. Nada. Nothing. Not even a slap on the wrist. Instead it was a slap in the face of baseball & its fans
So the cycle of life has decided the players fates
Hopefully altuve tears his acl or something
He was on his way to the HOF too. Now its the hall of shame with bonds clemens ohtani
Johnny ..When did Cora manage a 90 loss team? And why wish physical injury on any other person? if you truly believe in Karma you’d be more careful hoping that.
The comment about Altuve was unnecessary. And Ohtani will be elected to the Hall.
The irony of saying you believe in karma, only to wish injury on another person. .
Im not wishing anyone harm, i should rephrase.
But justice wasnt served
If he does tear his acl
I wont shed any tears
The point is nearly everyone on that cheating tm has been plagued by injury, poor play, or their career was affected by it in a negative way. beltran was not only rejected by HOF but fired by mets before he ever managed a single gm and hasnt been hired to manage anywhere else. Honestly i dont care what happens to them. The game was tainted & manfred’s lack of action is a disgrace
You do realize that many teams were cheating. Boston and New York had confirmed cheating methods in place. Several other teams have had players come out and acknowledge multiple teams were involved. Move on
When did he have his first TJS?
2017
Imagine if Tommy John even got $5,000 for every surgery performed that bears his name?
You know it makes me wonder. Urquidy may be gone from Houston now with this surgery
Why did McCullers get pass after pass to remain. What were the contracts for these 2 pitchers
Urquidy has been out all season and will be the rest most likely. Plus will not pitch in 2025. So I can see why Houston will drop Urquidy. Not sure what can fully do with him. Whether returns to baseball in 2026 unsure.
Hearing Garcia is working a comeback. Not much on McCullers.
All the Click talk makes me wonder. Crane and his 1 year contracts I can see why Click didn’t want to stay with the team. I liked Luhnow probably was the better one even. I know the issues etc. but Luhnow was behind Verlander and such.
Our rotation is up in air now with Verlander and age and more. Framber up and down as he is a head case. Javier possibly out for season. Brown seems to be righting ship. Arrighetti seems to as well. Blanco was great to start season has had some struggles of late.
Bullpen: Get rid of Pressly. Montero is ok. Abreu depends with him. Hader seems to be righting ship if gets to him. Rest of bullpen has been up/down with AAA and here. Muschinski, Dubin, are a couple. Speas was briefly up but didn’t do so hot his one time so bye back down you go. Haley who spot started as well. Also that one pitcher that threw one pitch and game was over as he lost it and was sent down.
The players this season: Bregman, and Abreu big issues. Diaz a big issue. Caratini has been better but still not top line. Chas has been horrible. Meyers has picked it up but seems in last week or two is sliding. Pena picked it up over last season. But he is sliding some. Tucker is doing great. Alvarez not so much. He had only 2 RBI’s last month and 2 HR. He has 3 for June and 2 HR’s. But June still early.
France who is in Minors not sure on him if out or not. But I do agree that Click would have done something in the off season. Crane I saw on Great Day Houston at start of season and he said We have a fantastic team and more and look at them now. I think Bagwell needs out of FO.
Dana should have stayed in Atlanta. I just do not think he is all that as a GM.
But think Houston will shock the sports world by not seeing the playoffs this season after being picked by many to go all the way.
Houston, we have a problem. Now Tucker is hurt, and with these daily increasing SP issues, they are done for ’24.
It is now up to Seattle to take the reins of the AL West. But that is not a given either, with the ongoing Mariner lack of hitting.
Clever that Houston we have problem that from a movie?
Every pride month I have to see all these Astros articles. It’s getting ridiculous that Houston fans want to throw their lifestyle choices in my face.