Even the Houston Astros bad starting pitchers are getting hurt

The body blows keep coming for the Houston Astros and their starting pitching rotation, even extending to the lackluster bottom-of-barrel options like right-hander J.P. France, who is tending to a shoulder injury and potentially staring at an extended absence if recent reporting is any indication.

Chandler Rome of The Athletic ($) revealed that France's shoulder ailment "will sideline him for 'a while,'" based on the intel he has gathered from a source aware of the situation.

Injuries to Houston Astros starting pitchers are beginning to pile up

France will join a lengthy list of Astros starting pitchers currently on the injured list once the transaction is official, including Luis Garcia (elbow), Jose Urquidy (forearm), Cristian Javier (neck), and Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm).

Despite recovering in time to make the Opening Day roster, France has been with the reported shoulder issue dating back to spring training, which Astros manager Joe Espada initially labeled as "shoulder inflammation." Considering his slow start to the 2024 MLB campaign, it's evident that it still bothered him. He went 0-3 with a 7.46 ERA through five starts before the club demoted him to their Triple-A affiliate, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys.

Things are beginning to spiral out of control in Houston -- it's getting ugly for the Astros and their pitching staff, who boast the second-lowest winning percentage in the AL (.353) through 34 games. Moreover, they rank 26th and 28th in the majors in ERA (4.75) and WHIP (1.449), respectively.

However, reinforcements appear to be on the way. Astros general manager Dana Brown mentioned that Javier could possibly return to the lineup as early as this coming weekend when Houston begins a three-game series with the Detroit Tigers, adding that Urquidy is "two or three rehab starts" away from potentially being reintegrated into the rotation.

Regardless, the Astros are in trouble and running out of bodies.