HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr won't contribute on the field for the Astros in 2024, but things are trending in the right direction for them to return next season.
Garcia threw a 35-pitch bullpen before Friday's game against the Los Angeles, his first since being called back from his minor league rehab assignment last month, while Astros manager Joe Espada said McCullers is expected to play catch this weekend for the first time since he was shutdown from throwing in July.
Garcia said his bullpen went well, and while he wasn't able to see it, Espada got a good report from Astros trainer Jeremiah Randall.
"I think the next step will be he might start throwing some live BPs here pretty soon," Espada said. "Jeremiah said, so that means it went pretty well."
The Astros had hoped to get Garcia back after the All-Star break following Tommy John Surgery last May, but the team elected to shut him down because he was experiencing soreness between rehab starts. The goal, now, is to have him ready for the start of spring training.
"That's what we need for the next couple of weeks," Espada said. "Just to see him throw the ball well, with confidence, and face some hitters. Obviously, we want him to be healthy, but that's the plan for him to go to offseason on a good note, and so far, things are moving in the right direction."
McCullers has not pitched since game three of the 2022 World Series. He underwent flexor tendon surgery last June. He threw bullpens this summer, but he was never able to face hitters.
