By Nathan Baliva
PEORIA – The St. Louis Cardinals and Peoria Chiefs have announced that left-handed pitcher Jaime Garcia will make a rehab start in the Midwest League when the Chiefs host the Clinton LumberKings at 7:00 p.m. this Thursday.
Garcia, 29, was placed on the 15-day disabled list July 5 with a groin injury. He made his 2015 debut on May 21 against the New York Mets and made seven starts going 3-3 with a 1.69 ERA while striking out 32 and walking just seven over 48 innings of work. He beat the Miami Marlins June 24 with seven innings of work in his final outing before landing on the DL. In seven starts this season, Garcia allowed three earned runs or less in all seven and he allowed one earned run or less four times.
Tickets for the Thursday game are available online at www.peoriachiefs.com and through Ticket Return by calling 1-866-MYTICKET. The Dozer Park Box Office will open at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday for those wishing to purchase tickets in person. Thursday’s game includes a Chiefs Road Jersey giveaway to the first 1,000 adults and $1.00 draft beers and fountain sodas for Thirsty Thursday.
Over parts of seven Major League seasons, all with the Cardinals, Garcia is 45-29 with a 3.36 ERA in 113 games and 104 starts. He made his MLB debut in 2008 going 1-1 with a 5.63 ERA in 10 games and one start. Garcia moved into the Cardinals rotation in the 2010 season going 13-8 with a 2.70 ERA in 28 starts and 163 1/3 innings. He finished third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting and was fourth in the NL In ERA. Garcia threw a career-high 194 2/3 innings in 2011 going 13-7 with a 3.56 ERA in 32 starts. He also made two starts in the World Series against Texas going 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA over 10 innings. The back-to-back 13-win seasons were the first by a Cardinals pitcher in his first two MLB seasons since 1953-54. In the 2011 season he finished second in the NL in complete games (2) and shutouts (2) while also ranking ninth in win percentage (.650). Garcia was 7-7 with a 3.92 ERA in 2012 with 20 starts and 121 2/3 innings. His 2013 season was limited to nine starts and 55 1/3 innings with a 5-2 record. Last season he made just seven MLB starts going 3-1 with a 4.12 ERA in 43 2/3 innings.
A native of Mexico, Garcia was drafted by the Cardinals in the 22nd round of the 2005 draft out of Sharyland High School in Mission, Texas. He pitched in the MWL 13 times for Quad Cities in 2006 going 5-4 with a 2.90 ERA and he was named to the MLB Futures Game to represent the World team that season.
