Astros Release Dylan Coleman
The Astros have released right-hander Dylan Coleman after designating him for assignment last week, as indicated on the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. He’s now a free agent.
Coleman, 28 next month, was acquired from the Royals in a small December swap and has spent the bulk of the season in Triple-A Sugar Land. He pitched one scoreless big league frame for Houston back on April 3 but has limped to a more problematic 6.50 earned run average in 36 Triple-A frames. He’s been on a particularly rocky run of late, yielding 12 runs (11 earned) on eight hits and nine walks over his past 5 2/3 innings. That recent slide surely played into the decision to designate the former fourth-rounder (Padres, 2018) for assignment.
As recently as 2022, Coleman looked well on his way to establishing himself in the Royals’ big league bullpen. He made his MLB debut late in the 2021 season and in 2022 piled up 68 innings of work. In a total of 74 1/3 innings from ’21-’22, he notched a very sharp 2.66 ERA while fanning 24.8% of his opponents. His 12.1% walk rate was in need of improvement, but Coleman sat 97.7 mph with his heater, picked up swinging strikes at an impressive 13% clip, avoided hard contact (86.4 mph average exit velocity, 6.3% barrel rate, 35.9% hard-hit rate) and did a good job keeping the ball in the yard (0.61 HR/9).
That success deteriorated quickly in 2023, however. Coleman was rocked for an 8.84 ERA in 18 1/3 big league innings and walked 19 batters in that time. The command troubles continued in Triple-A Omaha, where he issued a free pass to a calamitous 21.8% of his opponents. The right-hander’s average fastball also plummeted from the prior season’s 97.5 mph to 95.2 mph in the majors (and 96.1 mph down the stretch in Triple-A).
All of those problems have persisted, if not worsened, following the change of scenery. Coleman walked 23.9% of his opponents with Sugar Land in the Astros organization, and Statcast measured his average heater in Triple-A this season at 95.7 mph — well shy of his 2021-22 levels. Whatever the reason for the downturn in command and velocity, the 2023-24 version of Coleman looks like a decidedly different pitcher than the reliever who showed quite a bit of promise from 2021-22.
Coleman’s prior track record, minimal acquisition cost — he’ll very likely require only a minor league deal to sign — and remaining club control (under two years of MLB service) should be enough to spark interest from a new club, whether that’s in the coming days/weeks or in the offseason.
West Notes: Eovaldi, Scherzer, Gurriel, Musgrove, Graveman
The Rangers are heading to Boston for a series with the Red Sox beginning tomorrow, but Nathan Eovaldi and Max Scherzer are both going to Texas for injury-related checkups, GM Chris Young told the Associated Press and other reporters. Eovaldi left his start Saturday after three innings due to tightness in his left side, though the meeting with team doctor Keith Meister is seen as precautionary since Eovaldi “thinks he can pitch through” the issue, Young said. “He’s so important to us that we’re not sure we want to push him. We may end up pushing him back or skipping a start. We don’t think it’s an IL at this point, but we will clearly decide that once he sees Dr. Meister.”
Scherzer was placed on the 15-day injured list on July 31 due to right shoulder fatigue, and Young said the veteran “just hasn’t turned the corner with his shoulder. Our hope is that maybe we get back and explore some other diagnostic measures and get him back on the mound. But I don’t know what the timetable is going to be.” Between this IL stint and an extended absence at the start of the season while recovering from back surgery and a nerve issue in his thumb, Scherzer has pitched only 39 1/3 innings over eight starts.
More will be known about both pitchers’ situations after the tests are complete, but there is clear cause for concern given how both Eovaldi and Scherzer have checkered injury histories. For Scherzer in particular, his situation is worrisome given how much time he has already missed, and whether or not his abnormal ramp-up this year simply kept him from being fully ready to pitch. If either Scherzer or Eovaldi are revealed to have more serious issues, it could put the rest of their seasons in jeopardy, as the Rangers might consider shutdowns if the team continues to fall back in the playoff race.
Some other notes from both the AL and NL West divisions…
- Lourdes Gurriel Jr. left the Diamondbacks‘ 12-5 win over the Phillies today due to left hamstring tightness, but manager Torey Lovullo downplayed the injury in postgame comments to MLB.com and other media. Lovullo said the removal was precautionary and that Gurriel is day-to-day, plus the outfielder isn’t even being sent for any tests at this time. Gurriel is hitting .269/.302/.414 with 14 homers over 453 plate appearances as the team’s regular left fielder, translating to a 98 wRC+ in the first season of the three-year, $42MM contract he signed to rejoin the D’Backs last offseason.
- The Padres will be activating Joe Musgrove from the 60-day injured list to start tomorrow’s game against the Pirates, after bone spurs in his right elbow cost him about two and a half months on the shelf. Talking with Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Musgrove made changes to his mechanics and delivery in order to help manage the injury. “The spur is going to be there, the structure of the elbow is not going to change unless I get an operation,” Musgrove said. “So [I’m] trying to find a way to be able to throw and still execute and still have good stuff. Hopefully it will alleviate some of the stress on the elbow is kind of the goal….I felt great in this build back.” Between this injury and a previous elbow-related stint on the IL, Musgrove has thrown only 49 1/3 innings this season, with a shaky 5.66 ERA.
- Kendall Graveman wasn’t expected to pitch in 2024 after a shoulder surgery last January, but his hopes at an in-season comeback gained some momentum Saturday when he threw a 10-pitch bullpen session. Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the San Diego Union-Tribune) that Graveman hit 86-87mph in his first time throwing off a mound since the surgery. As Kawahara notes, there might simply be not enough time left in the season for Graveman to get fully ramped up and then complete a minor league rehab assignment, but that won’t stop the veteran from trying.
AL West Notes: Verlander, Rodriguez, deGrom
Justin Verlander is slated to make a rehab start for Triple-A Sugar Land today, marking his first game action since June 9. Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters (including Matt Kawahara and Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle) that the loose plan is for Verlander to throw three innings or 50 pitches in the first of what is expected to be a two-outing rehab stint, though there’s plenty of fluidity built in as the 41-year-old ace works his way back from a neck strain.
If all goes well, Verlander would likely be activated for the start of the Astros’ series with the Orioles that begins on August 22. Verlander would become the sixth member of a six-man rotation Houston is planning to deploy during a busy stretch of the schedule, as after receiving three off-days within the first 15 days of August, the Astros then play every day from August 16 through September 2. Assuming Verlander returns in his usual top-of-the-rotation form, he’ll be a giant boost to a Houston team that is battling the Mariners for the AL West title, and will again be looking to make another deep playoff run. Between this neck problem and a season-opening bout of shoulder inflammation, Verlander has been limited to 57 innings in his 19th Major League season, but he has a solid 3.95 ERA when available to pitch.
More from around the AL West…
- Julio Rodriguez hasn’t played July 21 due to a high ankle sprain, but the Mariners outfielder has been taking part in some moderate-intensity running exercises as part of his recovery process. Manager Scott Servais told MLB.com and other media earlier this week that Rodriguez’s injury is viewed as a day-to-day situation by the team, as Rodriguez might be activated from the 10-day injured list without the need for a rehab assignment. “The swinging really isn’t the issue, from what [Rodriguez] said. It’s just more of the running and trying to get up to speed and taking the turns, things like that,” Servais noted. As such, Seattle could try using Rodriguez as a designated hitter if the team wants to take it easy on his ankle. The uncertain nature of high ankle sprains and the lack of a timetable makes it unclear when J-Rod might be back in action, but it could technically be as early as this coming week if he shows quick improvement and is able to run passably well.
- Jacob deGrom threw a live batting practice on Thursday, with Rangers skipper Bruce Bochy telling reporters (including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News) that deGrom will have another live BP session during the Rangers’ upcoming August 12-14 series in Boston. This is the first time deGrom had faced live hitters during his rehab from a June 2023 Tommy John surgery, and the four-time All-Star remains on pace with the standard 13-14 month recovery timeline. Since he’ll have a third bullpen session and then a minor league rehab assignment, deGrom might not return to the Texas roster before the end of August, but the veteran should be able to log some big league innings before 2024 is out, and gain some peace of mind about his health heading into the offseason.
Denny Lemaster Passes Away
Former All-Star pitcher Denny Lemaster passed away late last month, according to an obituary from a Georgia funeral home. The former Braves, Astros, and Expos hurler was 85 years old.
A California native, Lemaster signed with the then-Milwaukee Braves shortly after graduating from Oxnard High School and made his pro debut in 1958. The southpaw wouldn’t make his big league debut until July of 1962 but pitched quite well for the Braves in 17 games, including 12 starts, with a 3.01 ERA in 86 2/3 innings of work. That audition during his rookie season earned Lemaster a more regular role in the club’s rotation going forward, and the lefty threw 237 innings during his first wire-to-wire big league campaign with a strong 3.04 ERA in 46 appearances, 31 of which were starts. He also launched two of his four career home runs as a hitter during that first full campaign as a big leaguer.
After his strong sophomore season, Lemaster took a slight step back in terms of results from 1964 to 1966 but was nonetheless a valuable source of innings for the Braves as they made the move from Milwaukee to Atlanta. Lemaster began to turn a corner late in the 1966 season with a 1.64 ERA over his final three starts of the year, including a three-hit gem against the reigning World Series champion Dodgers on August 9 where he managed to out-duel future Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, striking out 10 while allowing just one run in a complete game against a lineup that included All-Stars Jim Lefebvre and John Roseboro. Unfortunately, Lemaster’s 1966 campaign would be cut short rather abruptly due to a pinched nerve that kept him out of action after August 19.
The lefty returned to the mound with a vengeance in 1967, however, and had a strong first half with a 2.82 ERA in 127 2/3 innings of work that included six complete games as well as a brilliant 13-inning performance in a 15-inning game against the Dodgers where he struck out 12 and allowed two runs, only one of which was earned. That performance was enough to make Lemaster an All-Star for the first and only time in his career, although he did not appear in that year’s All-Star game due to an injury. The southpaw threw just 87 2/3 innings during the second half, surely hampered by injury woes, and made his final appearance in a Braves uniform on September 22.
Following the 1967 season, Lemaster was dealt to the Astros alongside All-Star infielder Denis Menke in exchange for infielders Sonny Jackson and Chuck Harrison. Lemaster’s first two seasons in Houston went quite well as he pitched to a 3.00 ERA across a combined 69 starts totaling 468 2/3 innings of work. After struggling through the first half in the 1970 season, Lemaster was moved to the bullpen for the second half and remained in a relief role for the rest of his career. The lefty departed Houston following the 1971 campaign and finished his career with the Expos in 1972. He pitched in his final MLB game on June 21 of that year.
Across his 11 seasons in the big leagues, Lemaster posted a solid career 3.58 ERA with a 90-105 record while racking up 1787 2/3 innings of work and striking out 1305 batters. Following his playing career, Lemaster’s obituary indicates he worked as a custom home builder and developed a talent for woodcarving wildfowl.
Those of us at MLBTR extend our condolences to Lemaster’s family, friends and loved ones.
Astros Select Zach Dezenzo
3:05pm: The Astros have now officially announced that they have selected Dezenzo. In corresponding moves, they optioned outfielder Trey Cabbage to Triple-A Sugar Land and designated right-hander Dylan Coleman for assignment. Coleman was acquired from the Royals in an offseason trade but has just one big league appearance for Houston, having spent the rest of the year on optional assignment. In his 36 Triple-A innings, he has a 6.50 ERA with a 23.9% walk rate.
2:25pm: The Astros are going to call up infielder Zach Dezenzo, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic on X. They will need to make corresponding moves to open space for him on the active and 40-man rosters.
Dezenzo, 24, gets the major league call for the first time. A 12th-round pick of the Astros in 2022, he has made a quick rise through the farm system. He split his time between High-A and Double-A last year, hitting 18 home runs in 94 games. His 25.9% strikeout rate was a bit high but he also drew walks at a solid 10.2% clip. His combined batting line was .304/.383/.531 for a 141 wRC+, though with an unsustainable .382 batting average on balls in play.
Coming into 2024, Baseball America ranked him #5 in the club’s system. They noted that his bat-to-ball skills are low but he makes good decisions and crushes the pitches that he does make contact with, leading to strong exit velocities.
He began this year on the shelf due to a wrist issue and began a rehab assignment at the Complex League in early June. It was around that time that FanGraphs ranked him #6 in the system, suggesting he could wind up like Eugenio Suárez as a guy who strikes out a lot but puts the ball over the fence enough to still be a useful contributor, though perhaps in streaky fashion.
Once he overcame his wrist issue, Dezenzo returned to Double-A and hit a tepid .222/.308/.370 in 22 games there but was nonetheless promoted to Triple-A and debuted at that level on July 24, less than two weeks ago. He has since been on a massive heater, hitting .391/.472/.739 in his 11 Triple-A games. He won’t maintain a .438 BABIP but it’s encouraging that he has four home runs and an 11.3% walk rate in that time.
It’s an aggressive move for the Astros to promote him despite his lack of a track record, but it reflects how much they have struggled to get production out of their first base slot. José Abreu had an awful time this year, struggling so much that he agreed to be optioned for a time. Around that stint on the farm, he hit .124/.167/.195 in the majors and was released in the middle of June.
Jon Singleton has picked up the bulk of playing time at first base in Abreu’s absence but has hit .230/.311/.354 this year for a 91 wRC+. That’s not disastrous production, only 9% below league average overall, but clubs generally expect first base to be a position where they can count on strong offensive output. He’s also been slumping of late, with a line of .167/.196/.315 dating back to July 13.
Dezenzo has been splitting his time between third base and first base this year but it seems unlikely he’ll see significant time at the hot corner with the presence of Alex Bregman and the struggles at the other end of the diamond. It’s a bold move, with Dezenzo having just 85 Double-A games and 11 Triple-A contests on his ledger but the Astros are in a tight race and didn’t get any first base help prior to the deadline.
Houston started out dreadfully this year but managed to climb back into the race. They are currently five games back of a Wild Card spot but just a game and a half behind the Mariners in the West division. Perhaps Dezenzo can give them a bit of a boost if he can quickly acclimate to big league pitching. It’s also possible that this is a bit of an audition for next year, with Bregman slated for free agency. Prospect reports generally cast some doubt on Dezenzo’s ability to stick at third, which will likely be a long-term question, but the first test will be handling himself at the plate.
Lance McCullers Jr. No Longer Expected To Pitch In 2024
Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters (including Chandler Rome of The Athletic) this morning that it’s “pretty safe to say” that right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. will not pitch in the majors this year. McCullers last pitched in the majors during Game 3 of the 2022 World Sereis and has been sidelined the past two seasons due to a muscle strain in his right arm and a subsequent surgery to repair his right flexor tendon last summer.
Rehab from that surgery was expected to leave him out of action for the first half of the 2024 season, though that timeline was further delayed when the club paused his throwing program last month due to lingering arm soreness following his bullpen sessions. Club brass subsequently indicated the right-hander may be able to contribute out of the bullpen for the September stretch run this year despite the setback, though even at the time it was noted that McCullers was seeking a second opinion regarding the setback.
The right-hander seemingly has not resumed a throwing program since being shut down early last month, and with so much time off would surely need to restart his throwing program from scratch in order to get ready for MLB games. That seems like a tall order with less than two months remaining in the regular season, and it’s ultimately not yet clear if McCullers is being shut down due to a significant setback or if he has simply run out of time to work his way back to a return in the majors this year. Regardless of the specifics behind McCullers’s situation, the right-hander will now look toward a return in 2025 on the heels of back-to-back lost seasons.
It’s an especially frustrating situation given the 30-year-old’s considerable talent when healthy enough to take the mound. The right-hander owns a career 3.48 ERA in 718 2/3 innings of work since he first made his big league debut back in 2015, and his peripheral numbers look even better. His career 3.35 FIP is nothing short of excellent, and he’s struck out at least 24.7% of batters faced in every season of his career including a 26.9% rate since the start of the 2016 season. He’s also a decorated postseason hurler for the club, with a 3.47 postseason ERA in 72 2/3 innings of work across 12 playoff series. That talent earned McCullers a five-year, $85MM extension prior to the start of the 2021 season, but more than half of that extension has now come and gone with the right-hander having thrown just 47 2/3 innings total in the regular season since it began in 2022.
McCullers is far from the only Astros hurler done for the year, as he’ll now join Jose Urquidy and Cristian Javier in looking toward the 2025 for their returns to the mound after both Urquidy and Javier underwent Tommy John surgery back in June. Justin Verlander and Luis Garcia are also on the injured list, but both of them are expected to pitch in the majors again this year. Verlander, in fact, felt good following a 37 pitch bullpen session earlier today and (according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle) told reporters that he expects to return to the majors after just two rehab starts amid a neck strain that’s kept him out of the rotation since mid-June.
AL West Notes: Carter, Rendon, Wilson, Astros
Rangers GM Chris Young stated earlier this week that Evan Carter‘s recurring back problems would likely end his 2024 season, and Carter confirmed as much when speaking with Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News (X link) and other reporters today. Carter said he doesn’t think surgery will be required to address the lumbar strain in his back, and he should have a normal offseason and a regular path to the start of Spring Training once he begins swinging in 9-10 weeks.
Carter’s official rookie season will now end with 45 games played, and a .188/.272/.361 slash line over 162 plate appearances. It was a tough follow-up to Carter’s incredible run in 2023 after his late-season MLB debut, but hopefully a full offseason of rest and recovery can help him move past the back problems that ruined his year.
More from around the AL West…
- The Angels intend to activate Anthony Rendon on Tuesday, so the lower-back inflammation that sidelined Rendon will result in just a minimal stint on the 10-day injured list. Rendon already missed around two and a half months earlier this season due to a hamstring strain, so the veteran third baseman has clocked just 33 games this season. Hitting only .227/.289/.273 over 142 PA, Rendon has plenty of time to post more respectable numbers the rest of the way, but 2024 is looking like another lost year for Rendon in the fifth season of his seven-year, $245MM deal with the Halos. Rendon has hit only .245/.349/.380 over his 999 PA in an Angels uniform, and a variety of injuries have limited him to 233 games.
- Jacob Wilson‘s first Major League game on July 19 was cut short by a hamstring strain, and reporter Jessica Kleinschmidt writes (via X) that the Athletics don’t yet have a concrete timeline on when Wilson might be able to return to action. That said, the shortstop has been taking part in baseball activities and has ramped up his running drills, so Wilson looks to be making progress. The sixth overall pick of the 2023 draft, Wilson earned the quick call-up to the Show due to a huge .438/.475/.687 slash line in 200 PA at three different minor league levels this season. Returning in relatively short order and getting some more exposure against big league pitching would further help Wilson establish himself as a cornerstone of the Athletics’ future.
- The Astros didn’t add any first base help at the trade deadline, and in fact subtracted from their depth by moving Joey Loperfido to the Blue Jays as part of the Yusei Kikuchi trade package. In an appearance on the Astros’ pregame radio show today, GM Dana Brown said that the club could continue to look within to bolster their first base ranks, as Zach Dezenzo and Shay Whitcomb could be called up from the minors to make their MLB debuts. Both are right-handed hitters that could team with the left-handed hitting Jon Singleton in a platoon situation, and Dezenzo might be the preferred choice of the two prospects because he has more experience than Whitcomb as a first baseman. (Hat tip to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle.)
AL West Notes: Tucker, Miller, Mariners
Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker has been on the injured list due to a right shin contusion for nearly two months now, but it doesn’t appear as though he’s likely to join the club’s lineup anytime soon as they attempt to pull away from the Mariners in a tight race for the AL West crown. As manager Joe Espada told reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle) earlier today, the club is not yet certain if Tucker will be able to contribute in the majors at any point in the month of August. Espada described the situation with Tucker as a day-to-day situation, adding that while it’s a “possibility” he could play at some point this month it would be “too aggressive” for him to commit to that timeline.
It’s a frustrating update for Astros fans, as Tucker had been without a doubt the club’s best hitter prior to the injury. In 262 trips to the plate across 60 games this year, the 27-year-old was slashing an otherworldly .266/.395/.584 (172 wRC+) that made him one of the top bats in the entire sport at the time of his injury. In his absence, the Astros have turned their season around in a big way with a 32-19 record since the start of June thanks in large part to strong offensive performances from previously-struggling players like Yainer Diaz and Alex Bregman. With more of the Houston lineup contributing on a daily basis in recent weeks, it’s easy to imagine the return of Tucker providing the lineup with an additional spark that could help buoy the club as they pursue their eighth consecutive appearance in the ALCS. Of course, even a return sometime in September could give the young star plenty of time to prepare for a potential playoff run while still meaningfully contributing to games down the stretch.
More from around the AL West:
- The Athletics offered a positive update regarding injured closer Mason Miller today, as relayed by MLB.com’s Martín Gallegos. According to Gallegos, Miller played catch without his cast today as he rehabs from a fractured finger in his non-throwing hand. The next step for the righty is to throw a live bullpen session in a simulated game on Monday. The 25-year-old phenom has become one of league’s best-known relievers this year by dominating to a 2.21 ERA with a 1.72 FIP in 40 2/3 innings of work as Oakland’s closer, a role that’s seen him rack up 15 saves. Miller last pitched on July 22 and was placed on the IL a few days later after fracturing his left pinkie finger in the club’s training room. If that bullpen session goes well, it seems possible that the righty might be able to skip a rehab assignment entirely and return not long after he’s first eligible to come off the shelf on August 7.
- Mariners fans received some unfortunate news from down on the farm recently as Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports that shortstop Felnin Celesten underwent season-ending surgery to repair a preexisting hamate injury. Celesten, 18, is the club’s #5 prospect according to MLB Pipeline and was among the top prospects of the 2023 class of international amateurs. Signed out of the Dominican Republic to a $4.7MM bonus, Celesten is considered a high-floor prospect with a strong defensive reputation at shortstop and solid all-around tools. In his first taste of stateside ball this year, Celesten slashed an excellent .352/.431/.568 in 32 Arizona Complex League games before being sidelined by injury. It seems likely he’ll get his first taste of full-season ball sometimes next year once he’s returned from rehab.
Astros Outright Rafael Montero To Triple-A
The Astros announced that Rafael Montero has been outrighted to Triple-A Sugar Land after clearing waivers. Montero was designated for assignment earlier this week, and since Montero had more than enough MLB service time to reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency, today’s move indicates that the veteran righty voluntarily accepted the move down to the minor leagues.
Montero’s decision is akin to Jose Abreu also agreeing to be optioned to the minors earlier this season, though that transaction was just a straight demotion and not a DFA. Unfortunately for the Astros, there is further similarity in that both Abreu and Montero are well-paid veterans who have struggled badly since Opening Day 2023, leaving the Astros with a big chunk of essentially dead money on their payroll.
Initially coming to Houston in a trade with the Mariners in July 2021, Montero emerged as a force out of the Astros bullpen in 2022. Montero posted a 2.37 ERA in 68 1/3 innings for the World Series champions, serving as an ace setup man for closer Ryan Pressly and picking up some saves himself when Pressly was on the injured list. This big performance came in a contract year for Montero, and it paid off in the form of a three-year, $34.5MM free agent deal to return to the Astros.
Things have gone south for Montero since that deal was signed, as the right-hander has a 4.94 ERA over 105 2/3 since the start of the 2023 campaign. Opposing batters have been making a ton more hard contact against Montero’s offerings, and his strikeout rate has also plummeted even from 2023 to 2024. Montero’s 26.5K% in 2023 was still quite respectable, but his 14K% this year ranks only in the third percentile of all pitchers.
With Montero showing little sign of improvement, the Astros made the decision to finally designate him, and surely no club was going to make a waiver claim and therefore inherit the rest of the struggling reliever’s contract. Montero’s service time would’ve allowed him to retain all of that salary even if he had chosen to become a free agent, but he’ll instead head to Triple-A to see if he can get himself back on track. Since Montero is off the 40-man roster and is getting paid anyway, there’s no downside for the Astros or for the pitcher in taking this sojourn in the minors, as all parties will benefit if Montero can regain some form and re-emerge as a viable option in Houston’s pen. If things don’t turn around for Montero in Sugar Land, the Astros could just release him, as they ultimately did with Abreu.
Astros Pitching Notes: Garcia, Verlander, Murfee
This weekend was supposed to mark the start of Luis Garcia‘s next minor league rehab assignment, but Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle) that Garcia is “feeling a little bit sore.” While Espada was quick to say that Garcia wasn’t being shut down, the team was going to take it easy with the righty-hander after he felt what Espada described as “some soreness in his elbow” following a game of catch on Thursday.
Garcia underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023, and his first attempt at a rehab assignment lasted two outings — an inning with the Astros’ rookie ball team in late June, and then 1 1/3 innings for Double-A Corpus Christi in early July. He was then held back from any more game action due to some physical discomfort and trouble bouncing back between pitching appearances. The Astros were slowly ramping him back up, and after Garcia’s live batting practice session last Tuesday seemed to go without a hitch, plans were made for another rehab assignment.
Instead, some questions now have to be asked about when exactly Garcia will be able to properly get back onto the mound in the wake of this latest setback. Though Garcia will require a pretty lengthy rehab stint when he is able to pitch, the Astros have said Garcia could potentially return as a reliever. This would require less build-up than rehabbing to work as a starting pitcher, so Garcia could make it back a bit quicker and pitch out of Houston’s bullpen later in the season or into a potential postseason run. Garcia would therefore be able to contribute to the 2024 team in some fashion, yet with still a decent length of time remaining in the regular season, the Astros will certainly first see if Garcia can indeed get healthy and ready enough to return to his customary starting role.
Garcia established himself as a solid member of the starting five when he posted a 3.60 ERA over 312 2/3 innings in 2021-22, helping the Astros to two AL pennants in those years and the World Series title in 2022. Given the usual timeframe for Tommy John rehab, his projected return in the second half of this season gained extra import considering how the Astros have been ravaged by pitching injuries.
Justin Verlander has twice been sidelined — first with some shoulder inflammation that delayed his season debut until April 19, and then a bout of neck stiffness that has kept him off the mound since June 9. The good news is that Verlander is inching towards a return, as Espada said the star righty will face live batters during a batting practice session on Sunday. Verlander is tentatively then planned to begin a rehab assignment, with Espada specifying that Verlander will need multiple starts to build up his arm to return to starting duty.
Penn Murfee is another pitcher getting ready to face live batters, as the reliever will be throwing a live BP session at the Astros’ Spring Training complex this weekend. Murfee told Kawahara and company that the plan is for him to begin his own rehab assignment after throwing three live BP sessions.
Debuting in the majors in 2022, Murfee made a quick impression by posting a 2.99 ERA in 69 1/3 relief innings for the Mariners. He followed up that great rookie year with a 1.29 ERA in his first 14 innings of the 2023 campaign before undergoing a UCL-related surgery in June 2023, and Seattle then opted to place him on waivers at the start of the offseason. This led to Murfee going to the Mets and then the Braves on a pair of waiver claims, a new contract with the Braves after Atlanta non-tendered him, and then another waiver claim to the Astros in late March. If Murfee’s rehab goes smoothly and he is able to recapture his old form, he presents Houston with an intriguing bullpen addition for the final stretch.