Astros’ injury list grows with another season-ending surgery
ASTROS NEWS
26 June 2024
ASTROS NEWS
Houston right-hander J.P. France will have surgery on his throwing shoulder Monday.
France opened the season in the majors but had been optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land and made one start there when he was placed on the injured list in early May.
France resumed throwing recently after being shut down for about a month, but had a setback this week leading to the decision to have surgery. The team did not provide any details about the nature of his surgery in its announcement Wednesday.
France was 0-3 with a 7.46 ERA in five starts for the Astros this season before his demotion.
His injury is the latest in a series of injuries to Houston's starting pitchers this season. The Astros opened the year without Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers because of injuries and José Urquidy and Cristian Javier both had Tommy John surgery earlier this month before ace Justin Verlander landed on the 15-day injured list with neck discomfort.
With only four pitchers currently in the rotation, the club could have really used France with an upcoming schedule that includes ten games in ten days on the road.
And with Garcia not expected back until late July, the Astros will have to get creative with their starters.
Zach Dezenzo homered and Victor Caratini drove in two runs in the seventh to help the Houston Astros rally for a 5-3 victory over the Athletics on Wednesday.
The Athletics led by 1 when rookie Justin Sterner (1-1) took over for Luis Severino to start the seventh. Dezenzo sent his fourth pitch 416 feet to center field for his second homer this season to tie it at 3-all.
DEZENZO. BOMB. #BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/ur27VQMcmm
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 28, 2025
There were runners on second and third with two outs in the inning when Caratini lined a single to center field to score 2 and put the Astros on top 5-3.
CARATINI FOR THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/QX8fAMlQcd
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 28, 2025
Houston’s Lance McCullers Jr. allowed five hits and three runs in a season-long six innings in his fifth start after missing more than two seasons with injuries.
Shawn Dubin (2-0) struck out two in a scoreless seventh for the win and Josh Hader converted his 14th save in 14 opportunities with a scoreless ninth.
Jacob Wilson homered with two RBIs for the Athletics, who fell to 3-17 in their last 20 games.
Severino yielded three hits and two runs — one earned — in six innings. He struck out four to give him 1,003 strikeouts in his career, making him the 48th active player to reach 1,000 strikeouts.
Christian Walker was hit on the hand with a pitch to start Houston’s fourth. He left in the bottom of the sixth inning because of the injury. Manager Joe Espada said the X-rays were negative after the game.
The Astros jumping on Sterner in the seventh to take the lead after Severino’s strong start kept them in check through six.
McCullers struck out 12 to tie a career high he last reached in 2018.
Lance McCullers, 12th K. 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/A3hJ0eSzId
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 28, 2025
LHP Jacob Lopez (0-2, 2.57 ERA) will start for Oakland on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series at Toronto. The Astros open a four-game series against Tampa Bay on Thursday night with RHP Ryan Gusto (3-2, 4.58) on the mound against RHP Shane Baz (4-3, 4.94).