Houston Astros Rotation Takes Another Blow as Starter Exits Against Phillies

The Houston Astros are in tough shape when it comes to their pitching rotation after Luis Garcia exited Monday's contest with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Uh oh.

The Houston Astros’ pitching staff continues to be besieged with injuries.

Just one day after Jose Urquidy sustained a shoulder injury, Luis Garcia left Monday’s game against the San Francisco Giants after eight pitches because of right elbow soreness.

Garcia had tossed 13 straight scoreless innings before the discomfort.

Garcia will undergo an MRI on Tuesday.

Urquidy’s MRI, performed Monday, displayed inflammation in his shoulder and he’s been shut down.

“He’ll be out a while (and) we don’t know how long until he gets better,” manager Dusty Baker said of Urquidy. “Hopefully he’ll be back relatively soon. We don’t know when. We just have to call upon whoever's the best available.”

Lance McCullers Jr. has been sidelined since the season started and Justin Verlander was lost to the New York Mets in free agency.

Both Urquidy (Mexico) and Garcia (Venezuela) pitched in the World Baseball Classic in March.

“I hate to think some of our guys, especially the Latin guys who went to the WBC, are coming up lame, and I hope that wasn’t the cause of the problem,” Baker said.

Brandon Bielak joined the Astros on Monday and tossed four innings in relief, allowing two runs with three walks and six strikeouts.

“That’s been my main goal my whole career is to work into the starting rotation with the Astros, and if I get that opportunity I’m going to take it and run with it,” Bielak told reporters.

More From SI's Inside The Astros:

1. Could Mike Trout Request a Trade to the Houston Astros?
2. Mariners Fans Inexplicably Outraged Following Houston Astros' Social Media Post About Sweep
3. Report: Former Astros Pitcher Fiers' Contract Terminated By CPBL Club
4. Six Houston Astros Declared Free Agents
5. Watch: Yordan Álvarez's Home Run Wins Astros World Series
6. Lucas Giolito Claims All Teams Were Cheating in 2017
7. Dusty Baker Makes His Thoughts Known on Bonds and Judge Records
8. Is it Time to Move on From the Houston Astros Cheating Scandal?
9. Is There Any Hope for an Aging Yuli Gurriel?
10. Astros' Álvarez Stopped Striking Out and Became the Best Hitter in Baseball

---

Make sure to follow Inside the Astros on Twitter @InsideAstrosSI!