Among the uplifting stories for the Astros in the 2023 season, right-hander J.P. France arrived at Spring Training nearly a year ago not in the best shape.
He had experienced shoulder inflammation during the offseason and reported to camp about 10 days behind a standard throwing schedule. Despite his struggles, France fought his way into the Houston rotation at the beginning of last year, even though he wasn’t fully healthy. He recorded a 7.46 ERA over five starts, was sent down to Triple-A, and ultimately had to be sidelined for the rest of the season. On July 1, France underwent surgery to repair a torn right shoulder capsule, a procedure that generally requires a 12 to 14-month recovery period.
France has been steadily progressing in his rehabilitation, and Monday was his last day throwing at 75 feet. He plans to increase his distance to 90 feet on Wednesday. During his recovery, he has been throwing at speeds of 72-74 mph, which is consistent with his recovery expectations. “It’s been going well,” he commented. “I haven’t experienced any setbacks, fingers crossed. Each time I throw, I don’t feel any soreness or pain. Everything has been going smoothly without any issues.”
If anyone has the ability to overcome challenges, it’s France. He underwent Tommy John surgery while playing at Tulane in 2015, resulting in him missing the entire season. After being selected by the Astros in the 14th round of the 2018 MLB Draft from Mississippi State, he almost gave up in 2019. Then the pandemic struck, costing him the 2020 season. “I’ve had to establish myself my entire life,” he remarked. “In college, I dealt with six head coaches in five years. Each year, I had to prove myself again. For me, this isn’t anything new. I wouldn’t say I’ve had a particularly tough journey to get to where I am now, but it has been more challenging than for some other players.
France found himself in the rotation early in the 2023 season after the Astros lost starting pitchers Luis Garcia (Tommy John surgery) and José Urquidy (right shoulder) due to injuries. He finished the season with an 11-6 record and a 3.83 ERA over 24 games (23 starts), quickly becoming a fan favorite for his iconic mustache. In his Major League debut on May 6, 2023, France pitched five scoreless innings and recorded a 7-3 record with a 2.85 ERA in his first 15 starts. However, in his last eight starts of the 2023 season, he had a 6.31 ERA, which included a game against Boston where he allowed 10 runs and 11 hits in just 2 1/3 innings.
Despite this, his overall performance was strong enough to position him as a candidate to start the 2024 season in Houston’s rotation.
In the fourth game of last season, France limited the Yankees to three runs over 5 2/3 innings, then produced a nearly identical performance on April 6 against the Rangers. However, he struggled in his next three starts, allowing 15 runs in 14 innings, which led to him being sent down to Triple-A Sugar Land. France made one start for the Space Cowboys on April 30 before being sidelined due to an injury. “Players often pitch through pain, and I didn’t think much of it,” France reflected. “I was just out there trying to maintain my spot. That definitely may have played a part in my performance. I’m not going to say that’s the sole reason I struggled early last year.”
“I could continue progressing well and leave West Palm in April, or I might experience a setback and end up staying until June,” he stated. “It’s unpredictable. I’m hoping that with the current progress, I’ll be aiming for around the 12-month mark, which would mean I’d be back in July. That’s what I’m hoping for. It’s a delicate situation since it is shoulder surgery, and I don’t want to rush the recovery process.”
Leave a Reply