Overview
- The Sugar Land Space Cowboys announced the release of right-hander J.P. France on July 30, 2026, making him a free agent eligible to sign with any club.
- France made three April appearances for Houston this season and allowed six earned runs over 6 2/3 innings while walking five batters and striking out four.
- He spent most of 2026 at Triple-A Sugar Land, where he posted a 3.72 ERA across 36 1/3 innings but had a 14.8% walk rate that flagged worsening control.
- Houston first turned to France earlier in the year because of injuries to Tatsuya Imai and the losses of Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier, but his role has shrunk since a 2023 rookie season that included 23 starts.
- At 31 and with roughly 172 major-league innings and a 4.49 career ERA, France is expected to pursue a minor-league deal if he can demonstrate better command, while the Astros push forward in a tight AL West race.