Does that mean he will pitch again for the Phillies?
"We're optimistic," Phillies general manager Pat Gillick said.
But if Andrews has the same diagnosis as that of Phillies physician Michael Ciccotti, is Garcia leaning toward surgery?
"Yeah, probably," Garcia said.
An MRI exam showed that the 31-year-old has shoulder problems, but the Phillies said it's not clear cut that he requires surgery. That decision will be made after Andrews confers with the Phillies and the pitcher.
Garcia, who is making $10 million this year, can be a free agent after the season. He went 1-5 with a 5.90 ERA in 11 starts, but he said he no longer could pitch through the pain.
"It's not good for me. It's not good for the team," said Garcia, who is in his ninth big-league season. "First of all, we've been playing good. Second, I've got to think about me. I've got to think about my career. I'll be a free agent. I've got to think about [surgery]. I've got a family. I'm not done yet. If I have to take my time, I'll take my time."
The Phillies never required a physical from Garcia before the completion of the December trade with the Chicago White Sox for pitchers Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez.
Garcia had been a hard thrower in the past, but his velocity dropped last season. The Phillies said they did not consider that to be a concern.
Gillick also said it was not a common practice to request an MRI exam before a trade. He said those tests typically happen before a team signs a free agent.
"On a trade it's a little bit different," he said. "You really rely on the information that you receive from the club that the player is coming from. Certainly, your trainer and your doctors will have discussions with their medical people to see if they're basically comfortable with the situation. And in this case, our people were comfortable.
