September is flying by, with each passing game and series bringing the Houston Astros one step closer to the 2025 MLB postseason. Nevertheless, the Astros' injury situation when it comes to their pitchers has left fans feeling uncertain about the club's immediate outlook, as names like Caleb Ort, Bennett Sousa, and John Rooney continue to work hard to return.
J.P. France is another Houston pitcher who's been working to rejoin the Astros as soon as possible. The 30-year-old righty hasn't pitched in the majors since April 2024 due to a severe shoulder injury, but has been rehabbing hard since August to get back into the mix, which could happen soon.
On Tuesday, The Athletic's Chandler Rome reported that France "is in Toronto and expected to join the Astros’ active roster during their series against the Blue Jays." Having said that, his activation can't happen without someone being booted from Houston, which spells bad news for a certain relief arm.
Astros Will Likely Demote Logan VanWey After JP France Injury Update
When the Astros are ready to demote a pitcher once France is officially back, fans shouldn't be surprised if it's Logan VanWey who's sent packing.
Editor's note: Rome added that VanWey was optioned to Triple-A Suglar Land during the time of writing. What follows is an analysis written before that move.
VanWey, 26, has been with the Astros since he joined the organization as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He's ascended Houston's pipeline throughout each season, culminating in his finally making his big-league debut this season. Unfortunately, he hasn't found nearly as much success in the majors as he did in the minors, pitching to a 5.06 ERA and 1.688 WHIP in 10 2/3 innings across nine relief appearances.
VanWey has been solid more often than not, but the problem is that he could potentially implode at any moment. He surrendered five earned runs in a 13-9 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on May 10 and has only pitched two MLB games since then. While he didn't allow any runs in those losses, the fact that those appearances came nearly three weeks apart further illustrates his inability to hold onto a big-league roster spot.
France's early rehab games were filled with concerns, but he's slowly turned it around. His best performance so far came against the Oklahoma City Comets on Friday, as he struck out three batters with one earned run allowed in his first start since Aug. 14.
Despite playing all but one of his 29 MLB appearances as a starter, France might be able to help the Astros out of the bullpen for the time being. His experience as a starter could allow him to eat multiple innings, which will help leave Houston's starting rotation feeling fresh for the playoffs. For comparison, VanWey has only pitched two-plus innings in three of his nine outings so far.
A potential demotion isn't to say that VanWey won't see another call-up this year. Instead, it would let him work on his craft in the minors while allowing France a chance to become a key cog in the Astros' machine again. If all goes to plan, Houston's pitching situation will look better because of it.