Injury woes for the Houston Astros have gone from bad to worse. In ten games, the Houston Astros lost their ace in Hunter Brown to a shoulder strain. Just three games later against the Colorado Rockies, the Astros lose yet another arm in Cristian Javier to shoulder tightness during Wednesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies.
Cristian Javier is leaving this game with a trainer before the second inning begins.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) April 8, 2026Javier Goes Down Again
While currently developing, Javier left the second inning of the game tied 1-1 with shoulder tightness. He had just recovered from Tommy John surgery that kept him on the shelf for over a season last year.
Before UCL surgery, the 29-year-old sported a 3.59 ERA going 35-22 logging 501 innings in 116 appearances (82) over four seasons with 601 strikeouts. Since his recovery, he hasn’t been the same, going 2-4 with a 4.62 ERA in eight starts last season, and a 12.96 ERA in barely nine innings of work across three games to start 2026.
Javier is in his fourth season of his five-year contract extension worth $64 million he signed before the 2023 season, and it hasn’t lived up to the hype. Along with Tommy John, Javier has thrown just 243 innings with a 4.78 ERA since signing the extension.
Hoping to wipe the slate clean in 2026, “El Reptil” is now dealing with another arm injury. Since he left the game Wednesday, the Rockies took the lead, scoring six unanswered runs, leading 7-1.
Worst case scenario, this injury to Javier is eerily similar to Luis Garcia last season, where he too, came back from Tommy John surgery and was sidelined again for another UCL surgery after making just two starts following his recovery.
Garcia, unable to replicate his previous reliable years with the Astros, is no longer a part of the Astros organization, rehabbing on a minor league deal with the New York Yankees.
Another Long Time Astro Goes Down
Houston Astros center fielder Jake Meyers (6) after missing the catch slams into the wall | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images
That’s not the only Astro that went down with an injury today. At the top of the second inning, it appeared that Jake Meyers grabbed his right oblique after a check swing call. He soon left the game with lower back tightness.
Jake Meyers exited the game with lower back tightness, the Astros announced.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) April 8, 2026
Although Meyers had his best season last year at the plate, batting .292 with a .727 OPS in 104 games, it was cut short due to injury, playing nearly two-thirds of the regular season. In another year assuming the opening day center field duties already sidelined, Houston will likely shift to platooning former young prospects Brice Matthews and Joey Loperfido.
If Meyers is on the shelf for an extended period of time, the Astros should call up OF Taylor Trammel, who has a 1.003 OPS in AAA to start his season.
Starting the season with a bulk of injuries is not what the Astros had intended. They already dealt with a traumatic 2025 season with a laundry list of teammates on the IL, breaking an MLB record. Houston ironically finds itself in a familiar position repeating history.
A roster built to contend on paper can’t afford to pick up where it left off in that regard, as early setbacks like these can quickly threaten another postseason push early in the year.