HOUSTON.- The openers of the AstrosJosé Urquidy and Cristian Javier, will each undergo Tommy John surgeries, a devastating blow for a Houston team that was trying to right the ship after a terrible start to the season.
General manager Dana Brown made the announcement Wednesday. The Mexican Urquidy will undergo surgery to repair the ligament in his right elbow on the same Wednesday, while the Dominican Javier will undergo surgery on Thursday.
Both right-handers will miss the rest of the season and probably much of the next, as the recovery period usually takes between 12 and 18 months.
The Astros had already seen significant losses in their rotation. Starters Luis García and Lance McCullers have been unable to pitch this season due to injuries, with a return scheduled for after the All-Star break.
Houston, which has reached the American League Championship Series in each of the last seven seasons, woke up Wednesday in third place in the West Division, with a 28-34 record.
Total loss for 2024:
Urquidy had not pitched this season after spraining his right forearm during spring training. He seemed close to debuting this year until he had to abandon a rehab start at Triple A, being diagnosed with inflammation in his right elbow on May 24.
The 29-year-old Mexican already underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017 and debuted in the majors two years later. He went 3-3 with a 5.29 ERA in 10 starts and six relief appearances last season. In five seasons, Urquidy is 27-16 with a 3.98 ERA in 70 starts and nine relief appearances.
Javier was 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA in seven starts for Houston this season. He was placed on the disabled list with right forearm discomfort on May 24. The 27-year-old Dominican has a 33-18 record over five MLB seasons.
Source: AP
