More bad news for the Astros rotation. Composite Getty Image.
The Houston Astros’ battered starting rotation suffered another blow this week as right-hander Ronel Blanco was sent back to Houston to be evaluated by team doctors after experiencing elbow soreness.
Ronel Blanco has elbow soreness and was sent back to Houston to be seen by team doctors.
— Julia Morales (@JuliaMorales) May 21, 2025
Blanco, who has been one of the bright spots in a rotation ravaged by injuries, now becomes the latest name on a growing list of sidelined Astros arms. His departure comes at a time when the club can least afford it, with the rotation already operating under extreme strain.
The Astros have already lost Hayden Wesneski for the season after the young righty was diagnosed with a torn UCL and will undergo Tommy John surgery. Meanwhile, Luis Garcia and Cristian Javier are each still working their way back from Tommy John procedures of their own.
In addition, JP France is still recovering from shoulder surgery, and Spencer Arrighetti is on the shelf with a broken thumb.
The team has leaned heavily on minor-league reinforcements and bullpen arms to patch together innings, but with Blanco now dealing with arm discomfort, those emergency options are thinning fast.
The severity of his elbow soreness is not yet known, but the decision to send him home for evaluation signals real concern.
With so many starters either injured or rehabbing, Houston’s pitching depth is being tested early. For a team built around elite run prevention, the health of the rotation may ultimately define their season. And let's face it, it's mostly been a worst-case scenario when Astros pitchers have dealt with elbow discomfort. Hopefully that won't be the case with Blanco.
*ChatGPT assisted.
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Yainer Diaz and Mauricio Dubón each had three hits, and the Houston Astros beat the Washington Nationals 7-4 on Tuesday night to stop a five-game slide.
EL MATÍN. 😤 pic.twitter.com/6luKH1Nxub
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 30, 2025
Christian Walker had two hits and two RBIs for the AL West-leading Astros. Bennett Sousa (5-0) got four outs for the win, and Josh Hader struck out the side in the ninth for his 28th save.
Luis García Jr. hit a two-run drive for last-place Washington, which had won three straight and five of seven overall. CJ Abrams had three hits.
García connected for his ninth homer in the third inning, lifting the Nationals to a 2-1 lead. But Diaz responded with a solo shot in the fourth for his 14th homer.
Walker singled and scored on Cooper Hummel’s pinch-hit single in the fifth, and the Astros grabbed control with three more runs in the sixth.
Altuve singled home Dubón for a 4-2 lead, and Walker followed with a two-run single against Andry Lara.
Andrew Chafin (1-1) took the loss.
Washington right-hander Michael Soroka allowed two runs and four hits in 3 1/3 innings in his final start before Thursday’s trade deadline.
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