Astros To Release J.P. France

The Astros are moving on from right-hander J.P. France, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The veteran has spent most of the season at Triple-A. France struggled in three games with the Astros in April. He was designated for assignment and passed through waivers after a brief stint in the majors.

Houston added France to the mix with pitching injuries mounting during the first month of the season. He joined the pitching staff when Tatsuya Imai went to the injured list. The team had already lost Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier. France chewed up innings in three losses. He allowed six earned runs over 6 2/3 frames. France had more walks (5) than strikeouts (4) in his trio of outings.

The 31-year-old France has contributed with the Astros in each of the past four seasons. After making 23 starts as a rookie in 2023, his opportunities have dwindled. France made five starts in 2024. He’s made five relief appearances across the past two years.

France was having a decent campaign at Triple-A. He compiled a 3.72 ERA across 36 1/3 innings. All but one of France’s 29 outings came as a reliever. The main red flag was control. France had a hefty 14.8% walk rate with Sugar Land. Throwing strikes has been increasingly more difficult for the righty. His walk rate has ticked up in every big-league season.

In his brief time in the majors this year, France made an arsenal adjustment. He prioritized the curveball over every other pitch. France has typically leaned on a pair of fastballs, throwing his four-seamer and cutter at least half the time. He still used both frequently this season, but not more than the 28.2% usage with the curve. France also threw a handful of sinkers for the first time this year. The righty’s repertoire in the minors was more in line with his previous work. He used the four-seamer and cutter more than 60% of the time.