Here's what injured finger could mean for Framber Valdez, Astros
INJURY UPDATE
04 March 2021
Framber Valdez injured the ring finger on his pitching hand on Tuesday, and the results of an X-ray showed a "slight fracture in that finger," according to Astros manager, Dusty Baker, who spoke about the injury on Thursday. You can see the play that caused the fracture in the video above. MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported on Thursday that surgery has been recommended to repair the finger, and that could cause Valdez to miss the entire season.
With Valdez out, the Astros will explore all options, likely including free agents. Other options include in-house pitchers with good arms like Luis Garcia and Forrest Whitley. They had guys including Valdez emerge last year and may employ an “all hands on deck" approach to start https://t.co/oupF3wtPyU
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 4, 2021
For now, it looks like the Astros and their doctors are still evaluating the situation, and perhaps they will know more after the swelling goes down. Valdez was able to stay in the game after sustaining the injury on Tuesday, so there's a possibility this isn't a worst-case scenario for Valdez and the Astros. Either way, this is a big blow for Houston as Valdez looked like the best pitcher in the rotation by the end of the ALCS last year, and this will clearly impact his preparation for the season and possibly cause him to miss some time.
How Astros find themselves on critical upswing even with major players MIA
May 12, 2025, 3:19 pm
The Houston Astros (20-19) are just 4–6 over their last 10 games, but the numbers tell a more encouraging story. Despite the record, Houston is slowly but surely gaining ground in the AL West, sitting just two games back with a division-best +21 run differential. The standings may not fully reflect it yet, but the Astros are showing clear signs of being on the other side of their early offensive struggles.
Through the first month and change, the team’s season-long offensive stats still look pedestrian—14th in OPS (.697), 21st in slugging (.375), 20th in runs scored (163), and just 25th in home runs (33). But zoom in on the last 15 games, and the picture shifts dramatically.
In that span, the Astros have quietly put together one of the most productive offenses in baseball. And that's with Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve missing time due to injury. Houston ranks 4th in OPS (.805), 6th in slugging (.442), 7th in runs (64), and 5th in doubles (22). For a team with playoff expectations, that kind of turnaround is exactly what fans have been hoping for.
The resurgence has been powered in part by rising bats in the middle of the lineup. Christian Walker, who looked stuck in a rut early on, has caught fire over the past week, hitting .385 with a .500 slugging percentage over his last 7 games. Yainer Diaz is heating up too, hitting .310 with a .448 slug over that same stretch. Zoom out a little further, and Diaz has been even better—.339 average and .559 slugging over his last 15 games. His bat is starting to match the hype.
On the mound, the Astros have had their share of turbulence, particularly in Lance McCullers Jr.’s rocky return. Saturday’s 13–9 loss to the Reds underscored some of those struggles. McCullers failed to escape the first inning, giving up walks and hitting a batter before allowing a barrage of hits. Across his two starts since returning from injury, the right-hander has walked three batters and hit one in each outing.
Even so, Houston's pitching remains a strength overall. The Astros rank 8th in team ERA and lead the majors in WHIP (1.14), while holding opponents to the second-lowest batting average (.213). The bullpen, in particular, has been nails. Steven Okert, Josh Hader, Bryan Abreu, and Brian King have all posted ERAs of 1.59 or lower, keeping games within reach when starters falter.
There’s still work to do, and the standings don’t lie. But if the last two weeks are any indication, Houston is turning the corner. The bats are waking up, the bullpen is elite, and the rotation has room to get healthy and sharper. It might not show up in the win column just yet, but make no mistake—the Astros are trending in the right direction.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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