The Astros reported, with Matt Kawahara from the Houston Chronicle among those covering, that pitcher Oliver Ortega underwent elbow surgery to remove loose bodies, sidelining him for three to four months.
Ortega, 27, was acquired from the Twins via waivers in October and remained on Houston’s roster through the winter, making two appearances this spring. However, manager Joe Espada recently disclosed that Ortega would be visiting a doctor, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Following medical evaluation, surgery was deemed necessary, projecting Ortega’s absence for approximately half of the season.
With 58 innings of MLB experience split between the Angels and Twins, Ortega holds a 4.03 earned run average. While his fastball velocity typically ranges between 95 and 97 miles per hour, he hasn’t translated this into significant strikeout numbers, recording only a 20.4% strikeout rate while walking 10.8% of hitters faced.
Although Ortega has shown better strikeout rates in the minors, such as his 32.6% rate at Triple-A last year over 34 2/3 innings, he will now miss a substantial portion of the upcoming season, limiting the Astros’ depth options.
When necessary, the club will likely place Ortega on the 60-day injured list, considering other players like Kendall Graveman, who is out for the entire 2024 season due to shoulder surgery, and Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis García Jr., who are expected to return midseason after undergoing elbow surgery last year.