Astros get pitching help just in the nick of time

That's right. Alex Bregman, who played third base for the Astros previously, comes back to face the team. The Astros saw Bregman over a week ago when the Red Sox swept Houston in a three-game series at Fenway Park.

Yet let's not bury Javier in this news. Javier has been out for 14 months since undergoing Tommy John surgery. He's made some starts down at the Astros' Triple-A club in Sugar Land, Texas. Javier has been able to show off his array of pitches and record some solid outings.

In his final rehab start for the Space Cowboys, Javier went 3 2/3 innings, giving up one run and two hits along with six strikeouts. Javier walked four in the outing. 

Based on this and his other rehab work, Astros manager Joe Espada put Javier in the Monday night opener. This will be Javier's first start for the Astros since May 21, 2024. After Javier, Spencer Arrighetti, who also just returned from the Injured List, and Hunter Brown round out the Astros' starting rotation for the Red Sox series.

Javier has played a pivotal role in the Astros' success during his tenure with the team. He pitched six innings of a combined no-hitter in Game 4 of the 2022 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. 

The Astros are hopeful that they can get other players, like slugger Yordan Alvarez, back on the 40-man roster soon. They are going to need all hands on deck to thwart the Mariners and stay atop the AL West. Javier's return is a solid step in the right direction.