Skip to main content
Inside the Astros

Astros Announce Full Roster Moves After Injuries Plague All Roster Areas

The season is just starting, and the Houston Astros are already without some very key players to hit their 2026 goals.
Maddy Dickens|
Astros manager Joe Espada looks on from the dugout before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Daikin Park.
Astros manager Joe Espada looks on from the dugout before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Daikin Park. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

In this story:

Houston Astros

Speaking on key Houston Astros players headed to the injured list feels like deja vu from 2025. The Astros had many occasions where the ballclub had the most athletes sitting on IL, and 2026 is not starting much differently.

On April 10, Houston announced the following roster moves;

  • Starting pitcher Cristian Javier was placed on 15-Day IL
  • Outfielder Jake Meyers was placed on 10-Day IL
  • RHP J.P. France was activated to the roster to replace Javier from Triple-A
  • OF Taylor Trammell was activated to the roster to replace Meyers from Triple-A
  • Transferred RHP Ronel Blanco to 60-Day IL

This is a real chance for France, as he is looking for redemption from 2024, which was the last time he was looked at as a starter. In 2023? Excellent. 2024? Not great.

2023 was his debut to the majors, and he was a workhorse for the Astros as he made 23 starts and finished the year with a 3.81 ERA and 100+ strikeouts. In 2024, France had a near 7.50 ERA, and 2025 was massively cut short with a season-ending injury.

France could be the comeback story of 2026 to bet on and a true spark Houston is in dire need of, as their offense is not the problem right now.

Trammell, on the other hand, has yet to prove himself at the plate as any sort of offensive weapon. Since his debut half a decade ago, he has yet to finish a season with a batting average over .200.

This won't work well for Houston unless he has a major turnaround; hopefully, that bodes well for both the Astros and Trammell.

A Roster Plagued with Injuries

Hunter Brown holds a baseball in a black glove in a white Astros uniform
Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (58) pitches against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Daikin Park. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The first travesty happened when Hunter Brown went down with a Grade 2 shoulder strain, a huge hit to the starting rotation after Brown was in contention for the 2025 AL Cy Young Award after his breakout season, but 2026 has started less than ideally.

Javier was the latest blow to the rotation as he exited his start against the Colorado Rockies on April 8 with tightness in his shoulder before the second inning even started. The Astros ended up being swept by the near 120-loss Rockies from 2025.

That game in Colorado did not go well for Houston, as that same outing was when Meyers went down. Meyers felt a problem with his back during his at-bat and was unable to finish the game. A huge loss on all accounts.

The Astros healthy, specifically regarding their pitching staff, is a team that will give any AL team a run for its money. However, a lagging starting rotation won't get them anywhere.

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.

Home/News