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With pitchers and catchers (and a handful of position players) now present at the team's spring training facility in West Palm Beach, fans are finally getting their first peak at the new-look Houston Astros.
Though the Astros are missing a few pieces from their championship teams of the past, the bulk of Joe Espada's top contributors from 2024 will be back this season. But those same injuries that persisted last season have carried over to spring training.
The Astros starting rotation was hit hard by injuries last season, and while there's hope that most of Houston's rehabbing pitchers will return at some point this season, the fanbase is bit more skeptical.
Astros News: Fans get familiar Luis Garcia injury update
One pitcher who won't break camp with the big league ball club is Luis Garcia. After undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery last spring, Garcia's rehab is only allowing him to throw off flat ground at the outset of spring training.
Garcia's timetable for a return will likely bleed into the dog days of summer, meaning that Astros fans may have to wait until after the All-Star break before seeing the 28-year-old right-hander return to the bump. Garcia hasn't pitched in a big league game since 2023.
Astros News: Lance McCullers Jr. throwing off the mound
Another Astros hurler who's been sidelined for quite some time is Lance McCullers Jr. The right-hander has dealt with a variety of injuries over the past two seasons. McCullers missed all of 2019 following Tommy John surgery and only started eight games in 2022 due to right flexor strain.
Similar to Garcia, McCullers won't be part of the Astros Opening Day roster, but the former first-round pick is throwing off a mound. This is good sign, and the next steps would likely include long toss, bullpen sessions, and facing live batters. McCullers is expected back later this season.
Astros News: LA Angels 3B Anthony Rendon already headed to the IL
While contract talks with third baseman Alex Bregman have stalled — raising doubt that a reunion will even take place — another AL West team has lost their starting third baseman as well. The Los Angeles Angels revealed that Anthony Rendon will undergo hip surgery and miss a significant amount of time.
This is, of course, nothing new for Rendon. After fleecing the Angels in 2020, Rendon has played in an of 51 games per season since arriving in Anaheim. That number is sure to go down following the latest injury update from Angels camp, and it's a good bet that he won't return this season. The Angels signed Yoan Moncada just last week, and he's expected to take over duties at the hot corner for the Astros' AL West rival.