The Houston Astros are adding two familiar faces ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Seattle Mariners.
Right-hander J.P. France and outfielder Taylor Trammell will join the club in Seattle, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com and Chandler Rome of The Athletic. France will take the 40-man roster spot vacated when Roddery Muñoz was designated for assignment on Monday. Trammell’s addition will require a second opening, making Ronel Blanco, currently on the 15-day IL while recovering from Tommy John surgery, a likely candidate to be transferred to the 60-day IL to clear a spot.
Trammell’s callup almost certainly signals that Jake Meyers is headed to the injured list. Meyers exited Wednesday’s loss to the Rockies mid-at-bat with lower back tightness and returned to Houston for imaging. The 28-year-old Trammell, who spent last season with the Astros before being outrighted to Triple-A Sugar Land after the year, has been outstanding to start 2026, slashing to a 1.003 OPS in the early going for the Space Cowboys. He is expected to serve as at least the strong half of a platoon in center field during Meyers’ absence.
France’s return is a comeback story two years in the making. The 31-year-old right-hander made 23 starts for Houston in his 2023 rookie campaign before a shoulder injury derailed the next two seasons. He made just seven appearances for the Astros between 2024 and 2025 combined, was designated for assignment this past offseason, and was sent outright to Triple-A. But the early results from 2026 suggest France is throwing with a healthy shoulder again—he has yet to allow a run in 5.1 innings at Sugar Land, striking out eight while allowing just one walk and two hits.
Whether France slots into the rotation or serves as a long reliever may depend on what the Astros decide to do about Cristian Javier, who exited Wednesday’s start with right shoulder tightness and has not yet been placed on the IL. If Javier does go down, Spencer Arrighetti remains the most likely candidate for a longer-term rotation role.
The Astros open their four-game series in Seattle on Friday.
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