Jairo Solis’ Tommy John surgery latest blow to Astros’ pitching depth

Chandler Rome, Staff writer

June 29, 2021Updated: June 29, 2021 2:20 p.m.

Astros pitching prospect Jairo Solis had Tommy John surgery this week, the third operation on his elbow in less than three years.

Karen Warren/Staff photographer

Astros pitching prospect Jairo Solis underwent Tommy John surgery Monday, further thinning Houston’s starting pitching depth on the 40-man roster.

Solis required surgery in late April to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019, too, making Monday’s operation the third on his elbow in less than three years.

Baseball America ranks Solis as the Astros’ 16th-best prospect while MLBPipeline pegs him eighth. Houston added Solis to its 40-man roster this offseason to protect him from selection in the Rule 5 Draft. 

The Astros added five players for protection this offseason. Three are now sidelined for the season. Solis and top pitching prospect Forrest Whitley both underwent Tommy John surgery. Tyler Ivey is still evaluating his options for the injured right elbow he dealt with throughout the season. 

Earlier this month, Ivey told the Chronicle he hid the elbow injury from the Astros in order to make his major league debut in late May. He said he is unlikely to pitch again this season. The team has not offered any update on his status.

Chandler Rome joined the Houston Chronicle in 2018 to cover the Astros after spending one year in Tuscaloosa covering Alabama football – during which Nick Saban asked if he attended college. He did, at LSU, where he covered the Tigers baseball team for nearly four years. He covered most of the Astros’ 2015 playoff run, too, as an intern for MLB.com