How J.P. France is Impressing Astros with Early Spring Training Results

All J.P. France wants is another chance. To get one with the Houston Astros, he had to keep pitching like this.

Houston Astros pitcher J.P. France. | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

The odds are against J.P. France cracking the Houston Astros starting rotation, a place he occupied in 2023 and part of 2024.

But it doesn't mean he’s not trying to impress the organization anyway. After all, he got his job in 2023 due to injury. Given how Houston has lost pitchers the past few years, having someone with France’s experience on stand-by is useful.

On Monday, he made his second appearance in a spring training game in relief. He put together his best stretch so far, as he tossed two scoreless innings against the Washington Nationals. He didn’t allow a hit or walk and struck out two.

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In two spring training games he’s pitched 3.1 innings, allowing one hit and one run. He has struck out three and walked one. France’s resilience is on display, something Houston is quite familiar with.

J.P. France Trying to Push For Roster Spot

Houston Astros starting pitcher J.P. France. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Since France suffered a shoulder injury one month into the 2024 season, it’s been an uphill battle. He was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land and went on the injured list. He had surgery to repair a torn right shoulder capsule, an injury and surgery that required a year of rehab. It was a grind. He appeared late in the season and pitched in relief in two games, going 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA. He pitched four innings.

France was preparing for spring training when the Astros did something unexpected — he was designated for assignment to make room for pitcher Kai-Wei Teng from the San Francisco Giants. Houston had just traded for him and needed the roster spot.

The next several days were rough. He could have been traded but wasn’t. He went through waivers and no one claimed him. The Astros could have waived him but didn’t. France had no choice but to accept the assignment to Sugar Land — and try to make lemons out of lemonade.

Houston is teeming with rotation options, from opening-day starter Hunter Brown and new free agent signing Tatsuya Imai to Cristian Javier and Lance McCullers Jr. It’s unlikely that France will be needed as a starter. But he could fill a role as a long reliever. Or break camp and head back to Sugar Land to work on stand-by. He has a body of work that shows he can do the job.

France helped to rescue a battered Houston rotation when he made his Major League debut in 2023. The right-hander went 11-6 with a 3.83 ERA, as he struck out 101 and walked 47 in 136.1 innings. Houston hopes he won’t have to do it again. But, if it does, he’s showing he has his stuff back.