Astros Injury Updates: Kyle Tucker concerns, Justin Verlander, Luis Garcia

For those that have followed the Houston Astros basically at all in 2024, it has been abundantly clear that the team has had to deal with more than their fair share of injuries. While some guys like Jose Urquidy, Cristian Javier, and now Lance McCullers Jr. are not going to be back this season, fans have been eager for news on the Astros' wounded that are expected to return in 2024.

Fortunately, we got some more clarity on some of those players over the last few days. However, not all of the news was good, and how the Astros handle re-integrating their returning players could make or break their season.

Astros News: Houston fans shouldn't expect Kyle Tucker to return anytime soon

When Kyle Tucker went down in a heap after fouling a ball off his shin in early June, many feared the worst. However, the initial prognosis for Tucker was actually positive, as he avoided any structural damage. That was pretty much the end of the good news with Tucker, though, as his progress has been slow at best. Tucker's timeline for returning has remained extremely unclear throughout the process.

Unfortunately, the latest update on Tucker from Astros manager Joe Espada was less than optimistic. While Espada didn't completely close the door on an earlier return, he also made sure to point out that Tucker may not return by the end of August and they are playing his recovery by ear.

Astros News: We finally have a timeline for Justin Verlander's return from the IL

Justin Verlander's neck injury has been difficult to parse. Originally called neck discomfort, what was once thought to be a short-term absence has dragged on nearly two months, with the Astros' rotation clinging on for dear life in his absence. Fortunately, we now have a better sense of how much longer he will be out.

Over the weekend, Verlander himself revealed that his live batting practice session went quite well. Assuming he keeps feeling good after his throwing session, Verlander thinks two rehab starts will be all he needs before he is ready to return to the mound for Houston. So far, the team has given no reason to disagree with that assessment, so we could see Verlander back as early as next week.

Astros News: Luis Garcia seems to be back on track in his rehab

Lost in the shuffle of all of the Astros other injuries has been Luis Garcia's rehab from Tommy John surgery. After initially being right on track for an early second half return, Garcia had a setback when he was "super sore" after a rehab outing that caused Houston to press pause on ramping him back up and added even more uncertainty to their rotation for the 2024 stretch run.

Luckily, it appears as though Garcia has avoided a serious issue and is already throwing again. His last bullpen session went well and his stuff passed the eye test. Assuming he doesn't have another flare up, he could be back out on his rehab assignment quite soon.

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