Luis Garcia DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Houston Astros pitchers Luis Garcia (elbow), Lance McCullers Jr. (elbow), Jose Urquidy (forearm) and Penn Murfee (elbow) all played catch at Minute Maid Park on Monday. Left-hander Framber Valdez (elbow) is scheduled to play catch Tuesday. Garcia, McCullers and Murfee are all currently on the 60-day injured list. Garcia is recovering from Tommy John surgery last May and isn't expected to be an option for the 'Stros until around midseason at least. McCullers, 30, is expected to be out until late June or early July as he recovers from right-elbow surgery. After missing a huge chunk of last season, the 28-year-old Urquidy has now been out almost a month with a right-forearm strain. Barring a setback, he should be the first of this group to return for Houston's rotation.

The Houston Astros moved pitchers Luis Garcia (elbow) and Penn Murfee (elbow) to the 60-day injured list on Thursday to make room on the 40-man roster for reliever Miguel Diaz and catcher/utility man Cooper Hummel after they were claimed off waivers. Garcia underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last May and won't be able to return to the Astros' starting rotation at least until around midseason this year. The 27-year-old threw a 15-pitch bullpen session on Monday, which is a big step in his recovery from elbow reconstruction. Given Garcia's long layoff, fantasy managers shouldn't expect much from him in 2024 in the second half. The Venezuelan hurler went 15-8 with a 3.72 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 47 was and 157 K's in 157 1/3 innings in his last full season in 2022.

Houston Astros right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) threw 15 pitches off a mound on Monday and is "ahead of schedule" in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, according to manager Joe Espada. Garcia had Tommy John surgery last May, so even if Garcia doesn't have any setbacks in his recovery, he's unlikely to make his 2024 debut until around the All-Star break. The Venezuelan hurler only made six starts for the Astros last year before going under the knife. In his four years in the big leagues with Houston, he's gone 28-19 with a 3.61 ERA (3.79 FIP) and 1.16 WHIP with 112 walks and 364 strikeouts in 352 innings pitched covering 69 appearances (63 starts). Fantasy managers in single-year leagues can continue to leave Garcia on the waiver wire.

Houston Astros right-handers Luis Garcia (elbow) and Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) are on track to return to the active roster in the second half of the 2024 season, according to general manager Dana Brown. Garcia is recovering from Tommy John surgery last May after allowing 12 earned runs with 10 walks and 31 strikeouts in 27 innings over six starts last year. The 27-year-old misses plenty of bats and could still be worth stashing as a late-round flier in deep-mixed fantasy leagues this spring. McCullers missed all of 2023 after having surgery to fix a torn flexor tendon in June. The 30-year-old remains intriguing in fantasy, but keep in mind he hasn't pitched since the World Series in 2022. Fantasy managers will want to temper expectations for both Garcia and McCullers once they return in the second half.