James heads to IL for undisclosed reason
Astros pitcher Josh James was placed on the injured list for undisclosed reasons Friday, and Astros manager Dusty Baker said he hoped James could return to the active roster as early as Monday.
Baker said he could not detail the reasons for James’ assignment to the injured list and would not say which version of the list to which he was assigned, which indicated that it could be a COVID-19-related decision. He also said James was not at Globe Life Field in Arlington with the team.
Righthanded pitcher Chase De Jong was elevated from the taxi squad to take James’ roster spot before the Astros’ Friday game in Arlington against the Rangers.
Major League Baseball’s COVID-19-related injured list does not require a confirmed positive test for COVID-19. Placement can be based on a positive test, a confirmed exposure to COVID-19 or a player exhibiting symptoms that would require self-isolation for further assessment.
The Astros generally list the reason for a player’s injured list assignment but did not do so in their announcement regarding James on Friday.
The announcement regarding James came as players’ families are preparing to join teams as they enter bubble conditions for the upcoming playoffs.
James returned Sept. 7 from the 10-day injured list after being idle since Aug. 22 with left hip discomfort. He has appeared in six games since returning with one earned run in 62⁄
3 innings with three walks and eight strikeouts.
Baker said he was hopeful for James’ return.
“We were lucky to get him back in the first place after how he looked when he went down (with the hip injury), but he worked and battled to get back, and he’ll do the same this time,” Baker said. “I think this will make him stronger and more appreciative of what has transpired, and I’m just hoping that we get him back.”
Rookie Javier pleases coaches
Cristian Javier’s first regular season in the big leagues is done, but the rookie righthander from the Dominican Republic could play a critical role in the Astros’ hopes of working their way through the eight-team American League playoff field toward another championship run.
Javier improved to 5-2 with 54 strikeouts and 18 walks in 541⁄ innings after
3 getting through 52⁄ innings
3 Thursday night in a 12-4 win over the Rangers. He allowed three runs on six hits, settling his ERA at 3.48 with a 0.99 WHIP and a .188 opponents’ batting average.
“Thank God for keeping me healthy this season and for letting me have a good season,” he said after the game. “I’ve got to keep working to have success in the future.”
Javier had 10 starts in 12 appearances but could be a candidate for the bullpen during the wild card series should the Astros advance. Pitching coach Brent Strom said Javier’s role likely will be dictated by the Astros’ wild card opponent along with other circumstances.
Astros manager Dusty Baker said he was impressed this season by Javier’s performance and poise in a year of constantly changing challenges.
“You wouldn’t think he was a rookie,” Baker said. “He seems unrattled by most things. He doesn’t miss anything. You can read his eyes. He’s always paying attention.
“His breaking ball has gotten better. We have to work on his stamina because he ran out of gas (Thursday night). He has some improvement to make.”
Javier, 23, was the Astros’ minor league pitcher of the year in 2019 and was added to the 40-man roster last November. He pitched three scoreless innings in two relief appearances, including five strikeouts in two innings Sept. 13 against the Dodgers, in addition to his 10 starts. The Astros were 8-4 for his 12 appearances.
Of Thursday’s start, he said, “I did a better job of attacking the zone than I have recently. I feel confident in my stuff and my ability to do well during the postseason.”
Last two starters still up in the air
The Astros have yet to name a starter for the Saturday and Sunday games against the Rangers, and manager Dusty Baker said the assignments likely would depend on the team’s playoff status for those games.
If the Astros’ postseason position is still unsettled Saturday, Lance McCullers Jr. is the probable starter. If the Astros have clinched, Chase De Jong, who returned Friday to the active roster when Josh James went on the injured list or a bullpen day would be in store.
Baker said the Astros also may use the weekend games as a final audition to determine which pitchers will make the playoff roster, presuming the team has qualified, and to knock the rust off other pitchers in preparation for the wild card round.
Meanwhile, the manager said righthander Brad Peacock was seeking a second medical opinion regarding recurring shoulder soreness that has idled him since Sept. 10.