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May 31: RHP Luis Garcia throws live batting practice
Garcia (Tommy John surgery) threw a 20-pitch live batting practice session Friday at Minute Maid Park and came out of it feeling “great,” he said. Garcia said he threw mainly fastballs, but he did mix in other pitches as well. Garcia will go to the Astros’ Spring Training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., next week and will “hopefully throw two or three more live BPs” before he might get out on a rehab assignment, manager Joe Espada said.

“He can work, and it takes a little bit more time for him to bounce back, have the trainers around him while we go on the road,” Espada said. “That’s the plan for him just to continue his live BPs and hopefully, we will get him on a rehab assignment.”

May 31: RHPs José Urquidy and Cristian Javier seeking second opinions
Astros manager Joe Espada said Friday that Urquidy (right forearm discomfort) and Javier (right forearm discomfort) were “both waiting to hear from the doctors” regarding their second opinions. Espada said he had no timeline on the second opinions. Espada said earlier this week both pitchers were examined by doctors on Monday and were set to get some imaging done on Tuesday, though no results have been made public.

Urquidy has missed the entire season after suffering a right forearm strain during Spring Training and was close to returning to the Astros before the injury resurfaced. Meanwhile, Javier was unable to throw a scheduled bullpen session on Sunday due to forearm discomfort and was placed on the IL for the second time this season. He was previously on the IL from April 18 to May 11 with neck discomfort.

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10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST

RHP Cristian Javier (right forearm discomfort)
Expected return: TBD
Javier is 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA in seven starts with the Astros this year, including three quality starts. After throwing six scoreless innings May 16 against the A’s in Houston, there was a marked dip in his velocity while throwing four innings and allowing four earned runs, three walks and eight hits in four innings May 21 against the Angels. (Last updated: May 27)

RHP José Urquidy (right forearm discomfort)
Expected return: TBD
Urquidy exited his start for Triple-A Sugar Land with right forearm discomfort on May 24 after throwing 56 pitches. Urquidy went 3-3 with a 5.29 ERA in 16 games (10 starts) last year and spent three months on the IL with right shoulder discomfort. He injured his forearm pitching in a simulated game on the back fields during Spring Training. (Last updated: May 27)

SS Brice Matthews (lower back tightness, No. 4 on Astros Top 30 prospect list)
Expected return: TBD
Matthews, the club's first-round Draft pick last year, began a rehab assignment at the Florida Complex League on May 25. He was placed on the seven-day injured list on May 7 at High-A Asheville with lower back tightness. Matthews was slashing .229/.364/.286 with two doubles in 35 games for the Tourists. (Last updated: May 27)

INF Zach Dezenzo (wrist, No. 5 on Astros Top 30 prospect list)
Expected return: TBD
Dezenzo was limited in Major League camp with a wrist injury and is on a slow rehab plan. He appeared in 31 games last year at High-A Asheville and 63 games at Double-A Corpus Christi, where he hit .257 with 14 homers and 41 RBIs as a third baseman. (Last updated: May 15)

60-DAY INJURED LIST

RHP Luis Garcia (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Late July
Garcia threw a 20-pitch live batting practice at Minute Maid Park on May 31, which marked another significant step toward his return from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent just over a year ago. Garcia will go to the Astros’ Spring Training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., the first week of June where he will “hopefully throw two or three more live BPs” before he might get out on a rehabilitation assignment, manager Joe Espada said.

“On a personal level and also as the manager, his teammates out here showing support, it speaks of how much this group loves each other and the respect for the kind of work that our training staff has done to get him back, the work that Luis has done to get back on track,” Espada said. “This is a big step forward, and we’re happy for him.” (Last updated: May 31)

RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (right forearm surgery)
Expected return: Midseason
McCullers has been throwing off the mound and has hit the mid-80s with his fastball, while adding some changeups. The next step would be to add in some breaking pitches and build up his pitch count and intensity in the coming weeks. He did not pitch in 2023 following surgery performed on June 13 to repair his flexor tendon and remove a bone spur.

The right-hander had rehabbed to the point that he was close to facing hitters in mid-May of last year, but another setback ultimately led to surgery. (Last updated: May 13) More>>

RHP Penn Murfee (right elbow surgery)
Expected return: August
Murfee, claimed off waivers on March 27 from the Braves, won't be able to help the Astros until midseason after undergoing UCL surgery in June 2023. He had surgery July 5 of last year. He's progressed to throwing off the slope of the mound. (Last updated: May 4)

RHP Oliver Ortega (elbow surgery)
Expected return: July
Ortega underwent surgery to remove loose bodies in his right elbow, the Astros announced March 21. He was expected to miss three to four months. Ortega appeared in two Spring Training games in relief before being sidelined with elbow discomfort. He joined the Astros after being claimed off waivers from the Twins on Oct. 25. Ortega appeared in 10 games for the Twins in 2023, going 0-1 with a 4.30 ERA while tallying 14 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings pitched. He was transferred to the 60-day IL on April 9 to make room on the 40-man roster for Wander Suero. (Last updated: April 9)

LHP Bennett Sousa (left shoulder inflammation)
Expected return: 2025
Sousa was headed towards a spot on Houston's Opening Day roster before what he described as an inflamed nerve sent him to the IL to begin the season. Sousa said he experienced some numbness and soreness in his hand and "tried to grind through it." He underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome on April 3 and was shut down for the season. (Last updated: April 6)

RHP Kendall Graveman (right shoulder labral surgery )
Expected return: 2025
Graveman, acquired by the Astros for the second time at last year’s Trade Deadline, posted a 2.42 ERA in 23 appearances for Houston in August and September but didn’t pitch in the playoffs because of right shoulder discomfort. He underwent season-ending surgery in January. (Last updated: March 28)

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