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Astros Reinstate Cristian Javier as Houston Posts Lineup for Rays Matchup The Houston Astros have some reasons to celebrate heading into the July 4th holiday weekend.
The first one is Cristian Javier.
He is joining the roster once ag To make room for Javier on the roster, Bennett Sousa was transferred to the 60-day IL.
The team also optionedAs the Astros look to claw their way into a Wild Card position, this is a significant addition to the rotation.
A Grade 2 right shoulder strain took Javier off the roster in April.
His rehab progression was methodical.
He looked good in his first rehab outing, where he threw three scoreless innings.
He built his way up to six shutout innings on 85 pitches in his most recent outing on June 27.After seeing him be that successful in his final rehab appearance, it was just a matter of when and not if he was coming back to the roster.
On Thursday, Given the number of injuries the Astros have dealt with, Javier will be a legitimate fifth-starter option for the team and will add depth to a thinly stretched pitching staff.Houston Astros starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Houston will send Spencer Arrighetti to the mound Friday night against Tampa Bays Nick Martinez.
On paper, the Rays should be heavily favored in this pitching duel.
Martinez has been dominant in the American League this campaign.
He has gone 7-2 with an impressive 2.66 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP across 94.2 innings.To make matters worse for the Astros, Martinez has been even better recently.
Arrighetti is 7-4 on the year with a 4.00 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 72 innings.
He is going to have to find his best game to keep up with Martinez this evening.
Alvarez is one of the best hitters With Javier back and Lance McCullers Jr.
and Ronel Blanco both closing in on returns, Houstons rotation depth is about to get a huge boost.This could be the turning point in the Astros season.
Laura Lambert resides in Wiggins, Colo.
with her husband, Ricky and two sons, Brayden and Boedy.
She attended the University of Northern Colorado while studying economics.
She is an accomplished rodeo athlete and barrel horse trainer along with being a life-long sports fan.Over the years, Laura has been active in journalism in a variety of roles.
While continuing to cover western sports and country music, she is currently enjoying expanding her reach into multiple sports including MLB, NFL, and WNBA.
Laura covers the Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, and Rodeo for On SI.
You can reach her at [email protected].