Cristian Javier Out Until 2025 With Tommy John Surgery

Cristian Javier To Require Tommy John Surgery

Cristian Javier is in a bad spot and things are going from bad to worse in Houston. The Astros starter is going to be sidelined until late 2025 after needing Tommy John surgery. Don’t click the link but Chandler Rome of The Athletic confirmed that the 27-year-old became the latest pitcher to go down with elbow problems. He first broke out in 2022 as a starter despite debuting in 2020. Then the Dominican had an excellent 2023 season and solidified himself as a key piece to the rotation in H-Town. Things were already going poorly for the ‘Stros but this just makes it even worse. At 27-34, they are seven games out of a playoff spot at the time of writing. They did make a slight push after their nightmarish start. However, things are starting to cool down.

Javier going down is a big blow to a rotation that is already struggling. Outside of Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez, the depth is about as thin as it gets. Ronel Blanco has been a revelation but he doesn’t exactly have a huge track record as a starter. JP France struggled out of the gate and has not thrown in over a month. For a team that seemed to get everything right for the better part of a decade, things are surprisingly starting to unravel. Had they been in better contention, a trade would definitely not be out of the question. Jesus Luzardo is seemingly available and in high demand but it does not look like the time to sell prospects from an understocked farm system.

The Unthinkable On The Cards?

Is 2024 the year we see the Houston Astros become sellers? It’s a tough sell to a room that’s done a lot of winning over the years. However, the winds of change are seemingly blowing hard. Alex Bregman is a pending free agent and Kyle Tucker will need a megadeal after next season. Obviously Jose Altuve is going to be there until he calls it quits. But it’s possible that GM Dana Brown considers it. If things don’t magically turn around before the deadline, teams will begin calling for their players. It’s a quick way to replenish your prospect pool and keep some form of payroll flexibility for the future. Javier’s injury is not the nail in the coffin but it’s not hyperbole to say things have been building up to this point.

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When it rains, it pours. Cristian Javier is going down with Tommy John surgery in what could turn into a Code Red in Houston.

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