Pitcher Luis Garcia agrees to $1,875,000 deal with Astros as he returns from Tommy John surgery

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HOUSTON (AP) — 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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