Cristian Javier could slot into one of the weekend starts as Astros standings get set for a four game series in Detroit against the Tigers. The Houston Astros have already named their Thursday and Friday starters, but Saturday and Sunday are still TBD.
Joe Espada’s rotation setup leaves Javier in line for one of the remaining openings. Tatsuya Imai is listed for Thursday, and Spencer Arrighetti is listed for Friday, so the only unresolved pieces in the series are the two weekend games.
That split matters because the Astros are carrying a full four-game plan into Detroit, with the first two turns already assigned and the last two still open. When a club reaches the weekend with both Saturday and Sunday listed as TBD, the next move usually comes down to how the staff wants to distribute innings across the series.
Javier and Joe Espada
Javier is the name attached to that opening. Espada’s comments point toward the pitcher getting one of the weekend starts, which means the Astros are not treating the final two games as fixed on the calendar.
For the Astros, that leaves a clear but narrow path: Thursday and Friday are set, while Saturday and Sunday remain the only decisions left before the series begins tomorrow. One of the Astros will fill each of those spots, but the exact order has not been assigned yet.
Tatsuya Imai and Spencer Arrighetti
Imai gives the Astros their Thursday starter, and Arrighetti follows on Friday. That gives Detroit a complete look at the first half of the series while the weekend waits on the final rotation call.
The practical takeaway is simple for Astros in Detroit: the opening two games already have names, and Cristian Javier appears to be near one of the last two. Which day he would take is still the unanswered piece, and that decision will set the shape of the rest of the four game series.
