Astros right-hander J.P. France had surgery last July to fix a tear in the capsule of his shoulder. There was little initial clarity regarding the timeline aside from the detail that it would conclude his 2024. France informed Brian McTaggart from MLB.com that the recovery period for the procedure is estimated to be 12 to 14 months.
He is currently at about the midpoint. France informs McTaggart that he has not faced any obstacles so far and wishes to be on schedule for the earlier conclusion of the rehabilitation period. “I believe that as it’s progressing currently, I’m aiming for around the 12-month timeline, which means I should be [back] in July.” “Let’s hope that’s true,” France stated. “There’s a delicate balance since it’s a shoulder operation, and you don’t want to hurry the recovery process, either.” He informs McTaggart that he started a throwing program last month and will advance to 90 feet this week.
Even the earlier conclusion of France’s schedule suggests he will probably be sidelined until approximately the All-Star Break. He is expected to be placed on the 60-day injured list if the team requires a 40-man roster spot during Spring Training. In a perfect situation, France might enhance the team’s rotation depth as they consider making a purchase at the trade deadline.
France was an effective back-end starter in his rookie season of 2023. He surpassed a moderate 17.4% strikeout rate to achieve a 3.83 earned run average over 136 1/3 innings. Adversaries began scoring against him in his five outings at the start of the ’24 season. France recorded a 7.46 ERA in 25 1/3 innings prior to Houston sending him down to Triple-A. Due to that and the injury, he has fallen on the rotation depth chart.
Cristian Javier and France are guaranteed to start the season on the injured list. Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. are more uncertain prospects to make it back by Opening Day. The Astros are prepared to kick off the season with a starting quartet of Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco, and Spencer Arrighetti. Swingman Hayden Wesneski is likely to be the fifth starter if Garcia and McCullers are not available. Colton Gordon and Ryan Gusto, who have yet to pitch in the majors, are both included on the 40-man roster.
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