The Houston Astros got two strong seasons out of Luis Garcia, including a rookie season in 2021 when he started 28 games, winning 11 and losing eight with a solid 3.48 ERA. He finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting, to the Tampa Bay Rays’ Randy Arozarena.

That was followed by another impressive year in which he helped to get the Astros to the World Series, going 15-8 this time with a 3.72 ERA. Houston won its second championship in 2022, and it appeared to have found reliable starter to seal the middle of its rotation in the 6-foot-1, 244 pound righty signed in 2017 out of Bolivar, Venezuela.

Then, after just six starts in 2023, Garcia’s career came to a sudden halt. An elbow injury required Tommy John surgery, costing the Astros pitcher not only the remainder of the 2023 season, but all of of last season as well.

In fact, due to multiple setbacks in his recovery from the surgery, Garcia missed most of this season as well — but finally made his return on Sept. 1, and all appeared, at last, to be well. Garcia in his comeback start threw six innings against the Los Angeles Angels, giving up three runs on three hits in a game won by Houston 8-3.

His next start came on Tuesday and this one turned out to be a disaster.

In the second inning, just 27 pitches in to his outing, Garcia was forced to exit the game with what the team later described as “right elbow discomfort.”

On Wednesday, less than two weeks after his return from more than two years on the injured list, the Astros placed Garcia back on the the 15-day IL.

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That means, even in the improbable, best-case scenario, Garcia would not be eligible to return until there were just four games remaining in the regular season.

The Astros were hoping Garcia could solve at least some of the problems caused by multiple injuries to the their pitching staff this year. Spencer Arrighetti, Lance McCullers Jr., Hayden Wesneski, Ronel Blanco and closer Josh Hader have all missed —or are currently missing — significant time with injuries.

Heading into Wednesday’s schedule, Houston held a slim one-game lead over the suddenly hot Seattle Mariners, winners of their last four in a row.

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The Astros at 78-67 also stood just two games ahead of the Texas Rangers, meaning that they are in danger not only of falling out of first place in the AL West, but slipping out of the playoff picture altogether, with only 17 games remaining to secure their place.

What do they do now? Their only solution so far was to call up righty Nick Hernandez on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old Hernandez has made just 12 big league starts in his three seasons, a factor that does not bode well for the Astros’ chances of keeping their eight-year streak of postseason appearances alive.

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