J.P.

France

France underwent surgery last July to repair a capsule tear in his right shoulder which carried a 12-14 month return timetable. The additional clarity on his recovery timeline puts him back in Houston’s rotation mix at some point during the second half. The -year-old righty has resumed a throwing program and is expected to progress long-tossing this week. With Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco and Spencer Arrighetti locked into rotation spots, it’ll likely be Hayden Wesneski opening the year as the Astros’ fifth starter until some combination of Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers Jr. or France are ready to return.

France underwent season-ending shoulder surgery back in late June. The procedural move opens up a spot on Houston’s 40-man roster. The 29-year-old righty is expected to be a full-go in time for spring training.

The procedure will be performed by Dr. Keith Meister. France dealt with shoulder issues during spring training and likely played a role in his poor performance during his time with the Astros this season. He’ll miss the remainder of the 2024 season, but should be ready to rock for the beginning of the 2025 campaign.

Well that’s not good. There hasn’t been an official transaction to put France on the injured list, but that could come soon. The 29-year-old dealt with shoulder issues during spring training, but he was still able to recover in time to make the team’s Opening Day roster. The 29-year-old posted a 7.46 ERA in his first five starts this season before the Astros demoted him to Triple-A Sugar Land.

After initial reports, the move is official. France will head down to the minors with the team activating Framber Valdez for this weekend’s series against the Rockies in Mexico City. It hasn’t been a great season for France, who has a 7.46 ERA through his first five starts and has failed to get through six innings in each of his outings. The 29-year-old will look to get right down at the Triple-A level and get back on the active roster with the Astros at some point this season.

Nothing official yet, but France appears headed back to the minors with ace Framber Valdez set to return for Sunday’s showdown against the Rockies in Mexico City. The 29-year-old righty holds an inflated 7.46 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 22/12 K/BB ratio across 25 1/3 innings (five starts). The real surprise here isn’t that France is getting demoted, but that top pitching prospect Spencer Arrighetti appears to be sticking around, despite his initial struggles at the highest level.

Things couldn’t have gone much worse for France, who entered the day with a 7.08 ERA and an 0-2 record. France allowed five earned runs and two homers in the first inning and needed 28 pitches to get through the frame. They would be the only runs he allowed on the day, but it was a rough night for the veteran righty, who tied a season-high with four walks while allowing nine total baserunners. Having faced the Yankees, Rangers (twice), Braves, and now, Cubs, things won’t get any easier for France in his next outing. He’s scheduled to toe the rubber on Tuesday against the Guardians.

He struck out four and walked one in a pretty good showing, considering the opponent. Long homers from Marcell Ozuna and Ronald Acuña Jr. accounted for the damage. France has a 7.08 ERA after four starts, and he could be replaced in the rotation next week if Framber Valdez avoids any setbacks.

France not only allowed eight hits, but also put four runners on base via walk while throwing 51-of-98 pitches for strikes before exiting. Simply put the 29-year-old did not have close to his best command — nor did he have the best umpire behind the plate — and it bit him badly in the third inning when he gave up six in that frame. France has been shaky in both starts this year, and he now has an unhealthy 8.40 ERA in an admittedly small sample. Another tough matchup comes next week when he faces Atlanta.

The right-hander walked two and struck out four batters on the evening. The Rangers scratched out single runs against him in the second, fourth and sixth innings — all without the benefit of a home run. France generated eight swings and misses on 88 pitches on the night — half of those on his changeup — while posting a CSW of 26 percent. His time in the rotation is seemingly coming to an end soon with Justin Verlander on the fast track toward a return. His start on Thursday against the Royals in Kansas City could wind up being his last one for a while.