HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- Astros pitcher Cristian Javier will undergo Tommy John surgery on Thursday, which will keep him off the mound for the remainder of this season and most of 2025, the Athletic reported on Tuesday.
Javier is currently on the IL due to right forearm discomfort. An MRI taken last week revealed forearm inflammation, according to Astros manager Joe Espada, but the team was awaiting on a second opinion before determining a course of action.
The Astros right-hander went 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA in seven starts this season, but allowed four runs on eight hits in his last start on May 21, but showed diminished velocity, which he blamed on poor mechanics. The Astros placed him on the IL three days later.
Javier is in the second season of a five-year, $64 million extension that he signed before the start of last season. He spent 18 days on the IL in April with what the team called "neck discomfort", the first IL stint of his Major League career.
News of Javier's surgery deals another blow to an already thin Astros rotation. Multiple media outlets reported Monday that right-hander Jose Urquidy may also need Tommy John Surgery. The team currently has just five starting pitchers on its 40-man
