UNBELIEVABLE

Astros break silence on injury front for these key players

Astros Joe Espada
The injury bug bites again. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

The Houston Astros have already dealt with their fair share of injuries in 2025, particularly among their starting pitching staff.

Spencer Arrighetti is currently sidelined with a fractured thumb, and Hayden Wesneski is out for the season, needing Tommy John surgery.

The Astros were hoping to receive good news when they asked for a second opinion on Ronel Blanco's elbow injury.

Unfortunately for Blanco, it appears that the second opinion confirmed a similar diagnosis to the first one.

The Astros have revealed that Blanco will be out for the season, requiring Tommy John surgery. Add Blanco to the list with Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia, and Wesneski, who are working their way back from season-ending elbow surgery.

JP France is also trying to recover from shoulder surgery that he had last season. Tough luck for Houston, having three-fifths of the starting rotation unavailable before getting out of May.

At least Arrighetti is expected to return, possibly in July. He began playing catch on Tuesday, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.

And GM Dana Brown told the Astros flagship on Wednesday that the club hopes to get Garcia back in July or August. Brown also gave an update on Yordan Alvarez. They're basically waiting on Yordan to let them know when he's ready.

Arms race

For the time being, it appears the team will roll with Ryan Gusto, Colton Gordon, and whomever else they can call up from Sugar Land to fill the fourth and fifth starter roles. The trade market is always an option too.

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The Angels beat the Astros, 4-1. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.

Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.

The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.

Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.

Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.

Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.

Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.

Key moment

Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.

Key Stat

Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.

Up next

Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.

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