Astros' Ace Luis Garcia Looks Very Strong in Latest Rehab Start

The Houston Astros have had so many injuries throughout the 2025 season that it's become tough even to keep track of who is currently on the IL and what injury they are dealing with.

This trend has held particularly true for the Astros' starting rotation, as just about every starter on the roster has spent a considerable amount of time on the shelf for one reason or another.

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Lost among this long list of battered starters has been right-hander Luis Garcia, who has been sidelined for over two whole years at this point.

The 2021 American League Rookie of the Year Award runner-up looked to be on track to become the next frontliner of the Astros' rotation, but Tommy John surgery in May of 2023 threw a wrench into those plans, and a number of subsequent setbacks have completely derailed them.

Garcia missed all of 2024 while recovering and was looking to make his return at the beginning of this season, but lingering elbow inflammation pushed back any potential rehab stint even further.

After enduring a much longer and more challenging road to recovery than anybody initially imagined, though, it finally looks like Garcia is on the verge of making his long-awaited return to the big league roster.

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This fact was demonstrated perfectly on Friday night, as Garcia looked absolutely phenomenal on the bump in his most recent rehab start with Triple-A Sugarland.

The now 28-year-old looked every bit as dominant as he did early on in his career with the Astros, tossing four innings of shutout ball while also striking out seven opposing batters.

Three of his seven total Ks came in the second inning alone, as he struck out the side swinging in an impressive display of pitching excellence.