The Houston Astros received two important injury updates Wednesday. According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, the Astros are looking for starting pitcher Christian Javier to throw around 55-60 pitches at Triple-A on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Jeremy Pena could return to the big league ball club soon.

“The Astros hope to get 55-60 pitches out of Cristian Javier today in Triple-A Sugar Land. Jeremy Peña will play shortstop and have tomorrow off. He could re-join the Astros in Boston on Friday,” Rome wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Pena is dealing with a rib fracture. Javier is working to return from Tommy John surgery. This is an Astros ball club that has battled no shortage of injury trouble throughout the '25 campaign. Yet, Houston still holds a four-game lead in the American League West with a 61-47 record.

Having Pena and Javier return would unquestionably help the Astros. It seems as if Pena could return sooner rather than later, while Javier's return date is unclear at the moment. The fact that Javier is working towards throwing up to 60 pitches is encouraging, though.

If all goes well, Javier could just be a few rehab starts away from pitching in the big leagues once again. Even if he doesn't return for a few more weeks, Javier could impact the Astros down the stretch and in the postseason.

On Wednesday, the Astros are set to play the Washington Nationals. Houston is also considering their trade deadline options. The Astros have been mentioned as a potential suitor for a number of intriguing trade candidates. Houston could realistically improve the roster in a significant way before Thursday's MLB trade deadline.

However, Jeremy Pena and Christian Javier's returns from injury will feel like acquisitions as well. Having them back in the lineup and rotation will only strengthen the ball club's chances of winning another division title.