The Astros introduced that right-hander Jose Urquidy will bear elbow surgical procedure, ending his 2024 season. Houston additionally confirmed that righty Cristian Javier will bear season-ending elbow surgical procedure, as was first reported Tuesday by The Athletic’s Chandler Rome. The staff didn’t specify the character of both surgical procedure, although Rome indicated in his unique report that Javier would require Tommy John surgical procedure. Urquidy’s surgical procedure is being carried out on Wednesday, so extra particulars will seemingly be obtainable as soon as it’s accomplished. Javier is slated to have his process carried out on Thursday.
Urquidy, 29, opened the season on the injured checklist with a forearm pressure and can now miss the complete marketing campaign. He pitched a bit within the minor leagues on a rehab task final month, however he was lifted from his ultimate outing of the yr after experiencing renewed ache in his forearm/elbow. The Astros subsequently introduced that Urquidy was searching for a second opinion, which is continuously an ominous signal for injured pitchers.
Urquidy has confirmed to be a dependable rotation cog in Houston when he is been wholesome sufficient to take the mound. Exterior of an unsightly 5.29 ERA final yr in a season affected by shoulder troubles, he’s posted a sub-4.00 ERA in each season of his profession, leaving him with a lifetime 3.98 mark in 405 MLB frames. His 19.6% strikeout fee is three share factors under the league common, however Urquidy has offset that with a terrific 5.8% stroll fee in his profession. Dwelling runs have been a problem, as is the case for a lot of shorter righties with common fastball velocity, however his changeup has been a superb pitch that’s helped him hold lefties at bay (.203/.255/.364).
Alden Gonzalez and Jeff Passan of ESPN reported earlier this week that Urquidy might be headed for Tommy John surgical procedure — which might be the second such process of his profession. He beforehand had Tommy John surgical procedure as a minor leaguer in 2017. Urquidy additionally missed time in 2021 and 2023 as a consequence of shoulder accidents. Whether or not this new process is a regular Tommy John operation or a more moderen iteration that features augmentation from an inner brace stays to be seen.
Both method, if this proves to be a UCL-related surgical procedure, it might finish Urquidy’s tenure with the Astros solely. He’s being paid $3.75M this season and is arbitration-eligible for the ultimate time this offseason. Houston would seemingly have to commit the identical wage to Urquidy once more for a 2025 season principally spent on the injured checklist.
Even when Urquidy agreed to the utmost 40% pay minimize permissible beneath the arbitration system, that’d nonetheless be a notable value for a pitcher who won’t make it again till late within the season — if he returns. If Urquidy had a number of seasons of membership management remaining, the ’Stros would possibly make that concession, however the right-hander is slated to develop into a free agent following the 2025 marketing campaign. It’s at all times attainable they’ll come to some sort of settlement on a two-year deal that’s backloaded with many of the wage falling in 2026, however the harm, sadly, renders Urquidy a transparent non-tender candidate.
With regard to the 2024 season, the official losses of each Urquidy and Javier are a gut-punch for a floundering Astros membership. Houston sits at 28-34, putting them seven video games behind the division-leading Mariners and 6 video games again of the third AL Wild Card spot.
Poor beginning pitching has been probably the most outstanding motive for Houston’s decline within the AL West. Along with Urquidy and Javier, the Astros have seen Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez spend time on the injured checklist. Proper-handers Hunter Brown and J.P. France — now on the minor league IL as a consequence of a shoulder harm — have taken important steps again in 2024. Rookies Spencer Arrighetti and Blair Henley have been hit exhausting (the latter in a single MLB spot begin). Even with Ronel Blanco amid a shock breakout throughout his age-30 season, the Astros’ collective 4.71 rotation ERA ranks twenty sixth within the majors.
Reinforcements ought to be within the type of righties Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr., although neither pitcher’s return is imminent. Garcia, on the mend from Tommy John surgical procedure carried out final June, is going through stay hitters and will quickly head out on a minor league rehab task. Nonetheless, he’d presumably require a number of begins earlier than being deemed an possibility for the MLB rotation. McCullers, who had flexor surgical procedure final summer time, is just a few weeks behind Garcia in his restoration course of. In concept, Garcia might be again across the All-Star break, with McCullers not far behind him — however that assumes no setbacks. And by that time, it’s additionally truthful to wonder if the Astros would really feel the urgency to hurry both pitcher.
Houston normal supervisor Dana Brown mentioned just lately that he doesn’t envision any state of affairs the place the Astros find yourself as commerce deadline sellers, however it’s troublesome to see how they’d be aggressive consumers in the event that they fall a lot additional again within the standings. There are slightly below eight weeks for the staff to proper the ship, and whereas a course correction is hardly implausible, the present paper-thin rotation depth means Houston will want its rotation to carry issues down and carry out a lot better whereas ready on Garcia and McCullers.
Verlander, Valdez, Blanco, Brown and Arrighetti will keep on because the beginning 5 for now, however Henley is the one different wholesome starter on the 40-man roster. The Astros did signal lefty Eric Lauer to a minor league deal final month, they usually might simply open 40-man house for him by placing Javier or Urquidy on the 60-day injured checklist. However Henley has been tagged for a 5.44 ERA in Triple-A this season, whereas Lauer was torched for seven runs over three innings in his first begin with Triple-A Sugar Land. Houston can ill-afford one other harm of observe on the large league workers.
