HOUSTON — The Astros optioned J.P. France to Triple-A after his long relief outing in a 9-6 loss to the Mariners, then recalled Jayden Murray to take his spot on the roster. France, who had been selected from Triple-A two days earlier, worked 2 2/3 innings yesterday and was likely unavailable for a few days after throwing 59 pitches.
France, 29, walked four batters and allowed four earned runs in the loss, a tough return for a pitcher who had been healthy after missing significant time in 2024-25. Murray arrived as the last man in the bullpen, giving Houston another arm after the Astros needed coverage following Tatsuya Imai's exit from his start with right arm fatigue.
The move fit the practical limits of the roster more than any long-term judgment on France. He has a 4.49 ERA and an 8.9% walk rate in 168 1/3 big-league innings, and the Astros kept him on the 40-man roster even after designating him for assignment in January. His earlier Triple-A numbers in 2024 were less encouraging, with a 6.59 ERA and a 17.2% walk rate in 24 innings, though he also struck out 21.9% of hitters in that stretch.
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Murray has spent most of his time in the Astros organization at Triple-A since arriving in a trade with the Rays in 2022. In 2025, he threw 64 innings in 50 relief appearances and posted a 4.64 ERA with a 10.6% walk rate. He made his major league debut last year and threw 11 2/3 innings with a 1.54 ERA, a small sample that likely helped keep him in the conversation for a bullpen call when Houston needed one.
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For now, the Astros are using the easiest available answer: a fresh reliever up, a spent one down, and a roster spot turned over after a game that left both the bullpen and France with work still to do.