Houston Astros' Framber Valdez Set to Come Off Injured List, Start Sunday in Mexico
The Houston Astros will have their ace back for their series against the Colorado Rockies in Mexico City, as Framber Valdez has recovered from his elbow injury.
The Houston Astros are set to activate left-handed pitcher Framber Valdez from the 15-day injured list on Sunday, manager Joe Espada told reporters Thursday.
Valdez will take the mound Sunday when the Astros face the Colorado Rockies. The teams will go head-to-head at a neutral site in Mexico City that day, closing out a quick two-game series at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu.
The decision tracks with Espada's update from Wednesday, when he said the goal was to have Valdez pitch in Mexico. It depended on how the left-hander felt, though, and now it seems as if he is good to go.
Valdez has been on the injured list since April 9. He was supposed to start April 8 against the Texas Rangers, but was scratched after feeling left elbow soreness after playing catch in the leadup to the game.
As a result, Valdez hasn't taken the mound since April 2, when he tossed 7.2 scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays. In two starts this season, Valdez boasts a 2.19 ERA, 1.378 WHIP, 7.3 strikeouts per nine innings and a 0.4 WAR.
Valdez became a full-time member of the Astros' starting rotation during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, ending that year with an 11th-place finish in AL Cy Young voting. He had a successful 2021 as well, but only after spending the first two months on the injured list.
From there, Valdez became an All-Star in 2022, and he returned to the Midsummer Classic in 2023. He placed top-10 in AL Cy Young voting in each season.
For his career, Valdez is 53-34 with a 3.38 ERA, 1.220 WHIP, 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings and an 11.0 WAR.
The 30-year-old southpaw will be a welcome addition to an Astros pitching staff that has struggled thus far in 2024.
While Ronel Blanco and Christian Javier own a combined ERA of 1.43 through eight total starts, Javier just hit the injured list himself. JP France, Hunter Brown and Spencer Arrighetti, on the other hand, have combined for an 8.89 ERA. On top of that, closers Josh Hader and Ryan Pressly have a combined 7.91 ERA.
Valdez is back in the fold starting this weekend, though, while Justin Verlander just made his season debut last week. Those two taking over at the top of rotation could potentially help Houston turn the tides on an ugly 7-18 start to the season.
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