Cristian Javier needed a strong response this week — and on Sunday, the Houston Astros right-hander delivered exactly that.
After an uneven first outing in spring training and a brief absence to handle a personal matter, Javier returned to the mound against the Miami Marlins looking far sharper. The result was one of the more encouraging pitching performances of Houston’s spring.
Javier worked four solid innings, allowing just two hits while walking one and striking out five. Over 56 pitches, he threw 38 strikes and generated 11 swings and misses, showing the type of command and deception that once made him one of the Astros’ most reliable starters.
Perhaps the most promising sign came from his fastball.
According to Statcast, Javier’s four-seam fastball averaged 92.3 mph in the outing — a noticeable jump from the 91.87 mph he averaged during his first spring start earlier in the week. That added life on the pitch translated directly into uncomfortable swings from Miami hitters.
The performance marked a clear improvement from Javier’s first appearance, when command issues limited him to just 1.2 innings. In that outing he threw 52 pitches, allowed two runs (one earned), walked three batters and struggled to consistently locate his pitches.
Sunday looked like a completely different version of the pitcher.
Astros manager Joe Espada was quick to praise the outing afterward, describing it as the type of performance Houston hopes to see consistently from the right-hander.
“That’s the really good version of Javy,” Espada said after the game.
For Espada and the coaching staff, the encouraging part wasn’t just the results. It was how Javier’s mechanics and rhythm came together during the outing.
The Astros have spent much of the spring working with Javier on keeping his lower half synced with his upper body — a key element that helps him repeat his delivery and maintain command throughout an outing.
“When his lower half is working with his upper body, he’s in sequence,” Espada explained. “That allows him to stay around the strike zone more often and create swing-and-miss early. The important part is repeating it. If he misses a spot, he’s able to reset and get right back on track.”
The shape of his fastball also appeared sharper.
Espada pointed to the way hitters were reacting to the pitch, particularly when Javier elevated it in the strike zone. Several of the swings and misses came on fastballs that started around waist level before rising past the barrels of hitters.
“You could see it in the swings,” Espada said. “Those fastballs start waist high and they just swing right under them.”
With two spring starts now in the books — both reaching at least 50 pitches — Javier appears to be right on schedule for the regular season.
Houston is expected to open the year with a six-man rotation, and Javier’s recent outing positions him well to be part of that group. Hunter Brown, last year’s American League Cy Young runner-up, is expected to get the Opening Day start.
Behind him, Javier and the Astros’ major offseason addition, Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai, are likely to follow in the rotation.
The remaining spots remain competitive. Lance McCullers Jr., Ryan Weiss, Mike Burrows and Spencer Arrighetti are among the pitchers still fighting for roles as the Astros finalize their plans.
Houston’s season begins March 26 at home against the Los Angeles Angels.
If Javier continues to look like the version Houston saw on Sunday, his place in the rotation may not be in doubt for long.
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