Luis Garcia agrees to one-year deal with Astros, avoiding arbitration

ASTROS NEWS

Astros Luis Garcia
A healthy Garcia could make a big difference. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

Right-hander Luis Garcia and the Houston Astros avoided arbitration when they agreed to a one-year contract for $1,875,000, matching the salary he earned last year when he didn't pitch in the major leagues as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.

The 28-year-old Garcia had surgery on May 19, 2023, and made a pair of minor league appearances last year, on June 28 and July 4, but was slow to bounce back.

Garcia is 28-19 with a 3.61 ERA in 63 starts and six relief appearances from 2020-23. He pitched for Venezuela in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Seven Astros remained set to exchange proposed arbitration salaries with the team Thursday: right-hander Bryan Abreu, left-hander Framber Valdez, shortstop Jeremy Peña, third baseman Isaac Paredes and outfielders Mauricio Dubón, Chas McCormick and Jake Meyers.

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The Angels beat the Astros, 3-0. Composite Getty Image.

José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.

Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.

There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.

Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.

Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.

He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.

Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.

Key moment

The home run by Peraza.

Key stat

It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.

Up next

LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.

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