Cristian

Javier

The plan appears to be for Javier to pitch out of the bullpen for the time being, probably in a long relief role. There’s not much runway to fantasy value here, but at least Javier is finally healthy enough to pitch again.

Espada added that Javier will be activated from the injured list for Friday’s series opener against the Rays and that the move isn’t permanent. The 29-year-old has been on the shelf with a Grade 2 shoulder strain since early April. It seems like he could move back into Houston’s rotation at some point in the second half. His stuff should play up in shorter bursts out of the bullpen, but he’s not exactly a relevant fantasy option outside of extremely deep leagues.

Teng hung a third-inning curveball over the plate to Kerry Carpenter, who promptly deposited the offering into the right-field seats for a go-ahead grand slam. It was one of eight hits that he allowed in the abbreviated outing where he finished with just one strikeout. The 27-year-old’s spot in Houston’s rotation appears to be in serious jeopardy, especially with Cristian Javier (shoulder) on the precipice of making it back to the majors. He’s tentatively scheduled to face the Rays next weekend, but that seems highly likely to change.

A little bit of a surprise, as it seemed likely that Javier would be activated this weekend. Hunter Brown is expected to start Sunday. Teng pitched well last time out, holding the Guardians to one run in six innings on Saturday, but his ERA stands at 5.06 in eight outings since he moved into the rotation.

If all goes well with that outing, Javier should be cleared to rejoin the Astros’ rotation next weekend. The 29-year-old right-hander is working his way back from a Grade 2 shoulder strain that has had him shelved since April 10.

Javier struck out six and threw threw 63 pitches over 3 1/3 innings in his latest rehab start for Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday night. The 29-year-old will rejoin Houston’s rotation in early July. He’s been on the shelf recovering from a Grade 2 shoulder strain since April 10.

Javier was slated for his third rehab start after throwing three scoreless innings on Tuesday. There’s no minor league action on Monday, so Javier will either have to wait until Tuesday to pitch or get his work in on the side instead. The right-hander is in line to return from a shoulder strain at the end of the month or in the first week of July.

Diaz has been sidelined since May 4th with an oblique strain, and Javier has been out since April 8th with a shoulder strain. Diaz will likely need to make a handful of starts behind the plate before being activated, but that could come by early next week. Javier will likely need until at least early July before he becomes an option for the Astros’ rotation.

Javier allowed two hits and a pair of walks, throwing 28 pitches (16 strikes) in his lone inning of work. The 29-year-old will continue building up his pitch count and stamina for the next couple weeks before returning to Houston’s rotation.

Astros skipper Joe Espada told reporters Javier came out of Friday’s live batting practice session fine from a physical standpoint and will face minor league hitters his next time out. The 29-year-old will likely need a couple outings to build up his stamina and pitch count before returning to Houston’s rotation sometime in June.