Houston Astros Get Positive Injury Update on Right-Handed Starter

The Houston Astros right-hander is progressing well after surgery last season.

Apr 23, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher J.P. France (68) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Entering the 2024 campaign, the hope was for J.P. France to do what he did the season prior for the Houston Astros.

France was coming off a 3.83 ERA showing, an impressive debut year for the right-hander.

Enter Spring Training, France didn't feel great. He was dealing with shoulder inflammation and went to camp 10 days after he was expected to.

Unfortunately, that shoulder discomfort was just the beginning of what was to come for the 29-year-old, who underwent surgery on July 1 to repair a torn right shoulder capsule.

The typical rehab process takes about 12 to 14 months of recovery time.

But for now, the rehab process has gone well.

According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, France hit a milestone in his recovery on Monday, finishing his final day throwing at 75 feet.

The Astros starter will now move back to 90 feet on Wednesday. McTaggart added that he's throwing 72 to 74 MPH, which is where he needs to be for now.

“It’s been going good,” he said. “I haven’t had any setbacks, knock on wood. Every day I throw and there’s really no soreness, no pain. Everything’s been going good without a hiccup.”

Houston will hope to get the Tulane product back at some point in 2025, but there will be challenges in that.

France said he's looking at the 12-month mark to return, a positive sign given the initial expectations of a recovery time of up to 14 months.

2024 didn't go as planned, posting a 7.46 ERA in five starts before surgery.

France won't blame his injury for pitching poorly, showing the competitor he is.

“Guys throw through pain, and I didn’t think anything of it,” France said. “I was just throwing because I was out there and trying to keep my spot. That definitely probably had a little something to do with it. I’m not going to say, ‘Oh, that’s the reason why I struggled last year at the beginning.’ I’m not going to say that.”

Accountability in a rehab process is important, and France seems to have every bit of that. He'll be back on the mound soon enough and, hopefully, dominate like he once did.