Astros LHP out for season after undergoing surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome

The Astros announced to reporters, including Chandler Rome of The Athletic, that left-hander Bennett Sousa underwent surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome yesterday. He will miss the entire 2024 season.

Sousa, 29 on Saturday, has only been with the Astros since September when he was claimed off waivers from the Tigers. But the club is clearly fond of him, as general manager Dana Brown said in February that Sousa likely would have made their playoff roster last year if he had been acquired prior to the September 1 eligibility cutoff date.

That strong reputation with the club would have put him in a good spot to earn a notable role in their bullpen this year but he started the season on the 15-day injured list due to left shoulder inflammation. It seems that further testing revealed a more specific diagnosis and the recommendation of surgery.

Sousa has 29 1/3 innings pitched in his major league career with a 7.06 earned run average in that small sample. He started 2023 with the White Sox but rode the roster carousel to the Reds, Brewers and Tigers before landing with the Astros. He tossed nine major league innings on the year with four earned runs allowed, striking out 10 and walking two. He also tossed 20 1/3 minor league innings with a 4.43 ERA, 33.3 percent strikeout rate and 10.3 percent walk rate.

The news of the surgery and missed season is obviously tough for Sousa, but it comes with a silver lining. He’ll spend the year on the major league injured list collecting big league pay and service time, a notable thing for a guy who came into 2024 with less than a year of service. The Astros will transfer him to the 60-day IL whenever they need his roster spot for another transaction. Other than Josh Hader, the only left-handed reliever on the 40-man other than Sousa is Parker Mushinski, so perhaps the club will keep an eye on the waiver wire for southpaws.