Houston Astros Ace Valdez Undecided on World Baseball Classic
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MLB Spring Training and the World Baseball Classic are quickly approaching and many of the Houston Astros players have already made their decision on which competition they will use to get ready for the 2023 MLB season.
One player who has yet to make his choice is starting pitcher Framber Valdez.
Valdez quickly rose to "Ace" status during last year's postseason and ended the regular season with 201.1 innings pitched, a career high. In 2021, Valdez had pitched just 134.1 innings, a significant increase in workload.
While it didn't seem to affect him down the stretch, that sharp increase in innings has him rethinking his participation in the WBC for the Dominican Republic.
Speaking with MLB Inside Hector Gomez, Valdez mentioned there was a process in which he would use to determine his path forward for the spring.
"I would like to play in the 2023 WBC, but I pitched a lot of innings last season. I'm not ready, I have to rest my shoulder. I'll talk to my psychologist to see what decision I'll make".
It is a distinct honor to represent your country in the WBC, but at the end of the day the Astros organization and its fans want Valdez ready to go for the season.
Perhaps the extra rest and slower ramp up heading into the long MLB season will prove to be the difference maker for Valdez following his career-high workload.
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