Astros' Jose Urquidy: Team hopes for late July return
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Astros general manager Dana Brown said Thursday that Urquidy (elbow) is projected to return in late July next season, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Urquidy underwent his second Tommy John surgery in June, so a return in a little over a year would be aggressive. Of course, any timetable at this juncture of recovery is a rough approximation. Urquidy is arbitration eligible for a final time this offseason, and it would seem as though the Astros plan to tender him a contract for 2025.
Astros' Jose Urquidy: Undergoes Tommy John surgery
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Urquidy underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
The Astros had only described Urquidy's surgery as "season-ending" prior to the operation, but it's now likely the 29-year-old righty remains out until the second half of the 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career. He will finish 2024 with a 5.29 ERA and 1.43 WHIP across 63 innings and will enter his final year of arbitration eligibility this offseason.
The Astros transferred Urquidy (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
The transaction frees up a 40-man roster spot for right-hander Nick Hernandez. Urquidy has been on the shelf all season with a right forearm strain, and after suffering a setback during his rehab assignment in late May, he underwent season-ending surgery on his elbow Wednesday. The Astros haven't disclosed whether Urquidy underwent the second Tommy John surgery of his career or another procedure, making his availability for the start of the 2025 season uncertain at the moment.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Getting season-ending surgery
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The Astros announced that Urquidy will undergo season-ending surgery Wednesday on his right elbow, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Houston didn't provide any specifics on the nature of the surgery, but more details should come out once the procedure is completed. Urquidy previously underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017 during his time in the minor leagues, so he could instead be getting an internal brace procedure, which would likely shorten his recovery timeline while perhaps increasing the longevity of his career. In any case, Urquidy is being shut down for the rest of the season, and his availability for the start of the 2025 campaign could also be affected regardless of what type of surgery he gets. Urquidy opened the season on the Astros' injured list with a right forearm strain and made three rehab starts before suffering a setback.
Astros' Jose Urquidy: May need second Tommy John surgery
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Urquidy (forearm) is expected to meet with Dr. Keith Meister this week and could be recommended to undergo the second Tommy John surgery of his career, Alden Gonzalez and Jeff Passan of ESPN.com report.
Urquidy's consultation with Dr. Meister will be a second opinion, as he previously had his forearm evaluated by a specialist when he was pulled off his rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land in late May. The right-hander has spent all season on the Astros' injured list after being shut down in mid-March with a right forearm strain, but he appeared to be closing in on a return before experiencing renewed discomfort during his third rehab outing. Urquidy, who previously missed the 2017 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, will hope to avoid another such procedure, but even if he's able to recover from the injury with additional rest and rehab, a return from the IL will still likely be several weeks down the road in a best-case scenario.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Seeing doctors Saturday
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Astros manager Joe Espada said Urquidy (forearm) is scheduled to meet with a doctor later Saturday, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.
Urquidy is getting examined after he experienced discomfort in his right forearm during his latest rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday. The right-hander had looked to be on track to return from the 15-day injured list during the upcoming week, but that no longer appears likely in light of the setback.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Set for further evaluation
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Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that Urquidy (forearm) will be evaluated by team physicians Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Urquidy made his third rehab start Friday with Triple-A Sugar Land but left midwya through the fourth inning with what was labeled as right forearm discomfort. The right-hander has resided on the injured list all season due to the forearm injury, so it's less than ideal that he's dealing with a related setback. The upcoming evaluation should shed more light on the severity of the setback, but in any case, Urquidy wouldn't appear to be on track to be activated from the 15-day IL at any point in the near future.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Battling additional forearm issues
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Urquidy exited his rehab start at Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday due to right forearm discomfort, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Urquidy has been sidelined since spring training due to a strained right forearm, and he seems to have aggravated the issue during his outing Friday. The right-hander was expected to return to the Astros' rotation after Friday's start, but it's unclear how his latest flareup may impact his return timeline.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Leaves rehab start with trainer
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Urquidy (forearm) was removed from his rehab start at Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday with an apparent injury, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Urquidy was only able to lob a warm-up pitch after receiving a visit from a trainer, causing him to be taken out of the game after 56 pitches. He appeared to be flexing his hand as he walked toward the dugout, though the Astros should offer more information on what is bothering him in the near future.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Making next rehab start Friday
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Uquidy (forearm) will make a rehab start Friday with Triple-A Sugar Land, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
The right-hander threw 59 pitches in his previous outing Saturday with Double-A Corpus Christi and is expected to build up to 70-to-75 pitches Friday. If all goes well, Urquidy could return from the 15-day injured list and step into Houston's rotation during its four-game series in Seattle next week.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Needs one more rehab start
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Astros manager Joe Espada said Sunday that Urquidy (forearm) will make another rehab start in the next few days, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
The 29-year-old allowed four earned runs and threw 59 pitches over four innings during his second rehab start Saturday, and he'll require one more start before potentially joining the Astros. If Urquidy remains on a five-day pitching schedule, he could make his season debut as early as May 28 in Seattle.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Completes four innings
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Urquidy (forearm) threw 59 pitches and completed four innings in a rehab appearance with Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday.
Urquidy was scheduled to complete four innings in the rehab appearance, and he had a successful outing. He threw 38 of his pitches for strikes and reached 93 mph with his fastball. Urquidy could require one more rehab appearance, but he's expected to be activated from the injured list by late May.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Requires additional rehab start
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Urquidy (forearm) will make another rehab start after his upcoming outing at Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Manager Joe Espada said Urquidy is slated for four innings (60-65 pitches) in Saturday's contest, so the Astros will keep him in the minors for an additional rehab appearance to stretch him out further. The 29-year-old righty struggled in his first rehab outing, giving up three earned runs across 2.2 innings with Triple-A Sugar Land. Assuming his third start in the minors will be his last, Urquidy is in line to pitch again for the Astros in Seattle on May 29.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Expects just one more rehab start
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Urquidy (forearm) said Monday that his next rehab start on Saturday with Double-A Corpus Christi should be his final one before he returns from the 15-day injured list, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Urquidy threw 48 pitches and allowed three runs over 2.2 innings in his first rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday. He will get his pitch count up to 70 on Saturday, and if he fares well for Corpus Christi, Urquidy could slot back into Houston's six-man rotation as a potential replacement for either Hunter Brown or Spencer Arrighetti.
