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.
RHP Ronel Blanco will undergo right elbow surgery next week, which will sideline him for the remainder of the 2025 season.
— Julia Morales (@JuliaMorales) May 28, 2025
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.
Astros did get some good news: Spencer Arrighetti began playing catch yesterday.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) May 28, 2025
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.
José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.
There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.
Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.
Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.
He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.
Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.
Key moment
The home run by Peraza.
Key stat
It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.
Up next
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
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