Astros right-hander will have some sort of elbow surgery and mi s the Tyler Flowers Jersey entire 2026 season. Manager Joe Espada relayed the info to reporters, including . Its a devastating blow for Garcia, who has already had a rough go of it in recent years. He has hardly pitched at all since the 2022 season. He made just six starts in 2023 before requiring Tommy John surgery. His attempts to return to the mound in 2024 repeatedly hit setbacks and he ended up mi sing that entire season. He still wasnt healthy to begin 2025 and he repeatedly hit more setbacks. He finally made it off the injured list in September. His first big league start in over two years went quite well, as he allowed three runs over six innings against the Angels. But in his second start, he didnt make it out of the second frame. Facing the Blue Jays in Toronto, he called for the trainers and quickly departed. He was then placed on the 15-day IL due to elbow discomfort. He was transferred to the 60-day IL a few days later. Given all the stops and starts of the past few years, its not especially surprising that something is ami s. Espada didnt provide any specifics about what kind of surgery Garcia will require, but the fact that the procedure will wipe out his 2026 points to another ulnar collateral ligament operation. More details will likely be revealed after the procedure takes place. The big question now is whats over the horizon. By the time the 2026 campaign is done, Garcia will have e sentially mi sed four seasons. Even if he does eventually get back to something resembling full health, there will be natural workload concerns after so much mi sed time. Garcia is currently in his second arbitration season. He made $1.875MM both last year and this year. He can be retained via arbitration for 2026 but hell be non-tendered now that hes going to mi s the entire season. Once he becomes a free agent, its po sible that some club will sign him to a two-year deal. Such pacts are common for players rehabbing from notable surgeries. With such arrangements, the player get to bank some money while rehabbing. The signing team knows it wont get anything in the first year of the deal but hopes that the investment pays off in the second season. Garcia does have a decent track record in the big leagues, with a 3.60 earned run average in 359 2/3 innings, but the exhausting extent of his recent time in the wilderne s will surely make clubs hesitant to put money on him. For the Astros, they already knew they werent getting anything out of Garcia this year, given that he was quickly put on the 60-day IL a few weeks ago. They probably didnt have too much hope for him in 2026 but hes now officially ruled out of next years plans as well. They are about to lose to free agency, so their on-paper 2026 rotation consists of and , with guys like , , , and others potentially in the mix. should have a spot if hes healthy, though he is currently gathering opinions on his elbow. , and each required Tommy John surgery and will be sidelined into next year. Photo courtesy of Erik Williams, Imagn Images Hoyt Wilhelm Jersey