Astros GM Dana Brown denies Jose Urquidy Tommy John surgery reports, awaits second opinion on pitcher's forearm strain
Houston Astros' rotation was dealt a severe blow after Jose Urquidy's rehab was cut short, with the World Series winner reportedly undergoing Tommy John surgery. However, Astros GM Dana Brown refuted the claims on Monday.
The Houston Astros made one of the worst starts to an MLB season in franchise history this season, and there seems to be no end to their troubles as they were hit by Urquidy's forearm strain last month. He was pulled from rehab start at Triple-A on May 24.
Senior ESPN journalist Jeff Passan reported that the Astros starter is slated to undergo Tommy John surgery for a second time, meaning a premature end to his season. But Dana Brown refuted the claims, saying nothing was set in stone as of yet and the team is sending Urquidy to Dr. Keith Meister for a second opinion on his injury.
“We’re going to get the second opinion, and then we’ll have more clarity," Brown said via MLB.com. "As I mentioned before, these things, it’s all about how the player feels. We’ll get second opinions and know something probably in a couple days."
Brown's team has been hit by an injury crisis this season as the AL West team started the season with Justin Verlander, Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis Garcia on the injured list.
Urquidy also started the season on the injured list after he suffered a forearm strain during spring training. He made two rehab starts before complaining of forearm troubles on his third start for Triple-A Sugar Land.
Astros camp's fight with injuries continues
While the injury concern to their pitchers has already impacted their season, the team faced a major scare on Monday when star right fielder Kyle Tucker left the game early due to a shin injury.
Tucker was in visible pain as he dropped to his knees after a foul ball bounced off his leg during the third inning. He was replaced by Mauricio Dubón even though Tucker initially tried to continue his at-bats.
“We did some X-rays and nothing was broken or anything,” he said. “So I’m sure we’ll do some more stuff tomorrow and what not. Right now it’s just kind of hurting but it’s all right, we’ll get through it.”
The initial evaluation revealed that there was no major concern for the Astros' home run leader. Tucker (19) is currently tied in the second spot with Gunnar Henderson for the most home runs this season, trailing Aaron Judge (21) in the first spot.