DENVER -- Things went from bad to worse for the Astros on Wednesday afternoon at Coors Field, when starting pitcher Cristian Javier exited the game with right shoulder tightness prior to the bottom of the second inning against the Rockies.
That came just minutes after center fielder Jake Meyers came out of the game mid-plate appearance due to lower back tightness.
While both developments are concerning for Houston, Javier’s exit was particularly so given that the Astros are already trying to navigate choppy waters with its starting rotation.
The club placed ace right-hander Hunter Brown on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain on Sunday, and announced on Tuesday that he has been shut down from throwing and would be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Javier, who turned 29 last month, only made seven starts in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery, returning for eight starts in ’25, over which he posted a 4.62 ERA. Entering Wednesday’s start in Colorado, Javier had given up six runs in each of his two starts (12.96 ERA) this season.
The Astros have been down this road before, and after the rotation was decimated by injuries last season, Houston spent the offseason acquiring pitching depth, signing right-handers Tatsuya Imai, Mike Burrows, Kai-Wei Teng and Ryan Weiss, among others.
But that group is inexperienced at the Major League level, making an already tenuous situation with the injury to Brown possibly even more difficult depending on how severe Javier’s issue is.
Meyers, who was sidelined at different points last year due to a calf injury, has appeared in all 12 games so far this season.