The Houston Astros placed infielder Nick Allen on the injured list Monday with back spasms, while right-hander J.P. France was outrighted to Triple-A Sugar Land.
To replace Allen on the active roster, the Astros selected the contract of newly acquired infielder Braden Shewmake from Sugar Land, while right-hander Cristian Javier (shoulder) was moved to the 60-day injured list.
Allen, 27, was batting .250 with five runs scored over 14 games this season. He is a career .214 hitter with nine home runs and 65 RBIs in 396 career games with the Athletics (2022-25) and Astros.
France, 31, had an 8.10 ERA over three outings for Houston this season and has a 4.49 ERA in 34 appearances (28 starts) in parts of four seasons with the club. He was designated for assignment last week and cleared waivers before he was outrighted.
Shewmake, 28, is former first-round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves in 2019, who was acquired in a trade with the New York Yankees on Sunday. In 31 major league games for the Braves and Chicago White Sox, Shewmake is a career .118 hitter with a home run and four RBIs.
