It’s almost been a year since Houston Astros pitcher Cristian Javier underwent Tommy John surgery. As the Astros set a timeline for his return before the All-Star break, his absence is being felt.
On Wednesday, the Astros moved Javier to the 60-day injured list to fill a roster spot, per Jake Elman of Athlon Sports. As a result, they acquired reliever Nick Robertson from the Toronto Blue Jays after trading a prospect. Edinson Batista.
Robertson was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019 as a seventh-round pick. He has a career ERA of 5.30, pitched 40 games, and has 40 strikeouts. Before joining Toronto, he had previous stints with the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals.
Javier has been in the league since 2020. He has an overall record of 33-18, 564 strikeouts, and an ERA of 3.59.
Before his injury, Javier went 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA in seven innings pitched.
The Astros’ resorting to this strategy conveys the precarious position they are in.
The void left by Cristian Javier
Javier was a catalyst for the Astros’ pitching rotation during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. During the ’22 season, Javier compiled a record of 11-9 with a 2.54 ERA in 30 games. He was also a significant factor in the postseason.
Javier struck out 16 and gave up one run in 12.2 innings pitched, and the Astros went on to win the World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.
The next season, Javier finished with a record of 10-5 with a 4.56 ERA. The Astros won the AL West and made it back to the postseason.
In the ’23 ALCS against the Texas Rangers, the signs of trouble brewing were there.
Javier didn’t make it out of the first inning, and the Astros lost to the eventual World Series champions that year. The following year, he needed to undergo surgery.
The empty space left by Javier is quite obvious, considering what he has accomplished for the Astros in the last few years. If the Astros can get him back as scheduled, the recovery process will still be long, but the void at least will start to close.
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