Houston Astros' starting pitcher Cristian Javier has reportedly made a big physical change heading into 2024, telling reporters that he dropped 15 pounds over the offseason.
Per Chandler Rome of 'The Athletic:'
Cristian Javier said he lost around 15 pounds this offseason. He acknowledged that some of his struggles last year could be attributed to some extra weight he was carrying around in addition to the already-documented mechanical flaws he had.
The 26-year-old pitched to a 4.56 ERA over 31 starts in 2023 after going 11-9 with a 2.54 in 2022. The Astros will be counting on him in a big way in 2024 as he's locked into a rotation that includes Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown. He figures to be the No. 3 man in that rotation as the team continues to be without Luis Garcia, who underwent Tommy John surgery a year ago.
If Javier can be excellent in 2024, the Astros figure to be one of the best teams in the American League yet again. After winning the World Series in 2022, they advanced to the ALCS again in 2022, falling in seven games to the Texas Rangers.
Houston opens up the season on March 28 at home against the New York Yankees in a battle of American League favorites. In addition to those two teams, the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays and Rangers figure to be in the mix for the AL pennant, with the Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins landing in the next group.
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