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Ronel Blanco To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

By Steve Adams | May 28, 2025 at 11:03am CDT

11:03am: Astros manager Joe Espada provided some more specifics to Leah Vann of Chron.com, revealing that Blanco will undergo Tommy John surgery.

10:28am: Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco, currently on the injured list due to elbow discomfort, will undergo season-ending surgery next week, the team announced Wednesday. Specifics on the nature of the procedure were not immediately revealed. Blanco is “anticipated to return during the 2026 season,” per the Astros, which suggests that he may not be ready for the start of next year’s spring training.

Blanco, 31, hit the injured list earlier this month with what was vaguely described as elbow discomfort. The lack of specificity is par for the course for the Astros organization when it comes to injuries, but the open-ended nature of the issue paired with GM Dana Brown stating that the Astros were “hoping for the best” as Blanco sought a second opinion created a particularly ominous air around Blanco’s status. It now appears that a worst-case scenario, or close to it, will play out.

Subtracting Blanco from an already thin rotation mix puts Houston in a perilous position. Their one-two punch of Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez is among the best rotation duos in the sport. Everything thereafter gets murky.

Rookies Ryan Gusto and Colton Gordon are both in the rotation at present, as is Lance McCullers Jr., who just returned from an injury absence of more than two years. Gusto (4.58 ERA in 35 1/3 innings) and Gordon (5.52 ERA in 14 2/3 innings) are not top-shelf prospects but rather 26-year-olds who profile as back-end starters or perhaps multi-inning relievers. McCullers has yet to complete five innings in an outing but has been solid in three of his four abbreviated starts. In the other, however, he was decimated for seven earned runs in just one-third of an inning versus the Reds.

Houston’s other rotation options are more or less all on the injured list. Spencer Arrighetti is still out with a broken thumb. Hayden Wesneski recently underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his 2025 season. Luis Garcia has been out more than two years due to Tommy John surgery and a series of setbacks. Cristian Javier had Tommy John surgery last June. J.P. France underwent shoulder surgery last July.

The ’Stros do have a few more rotation candidates in Triple-A, but there’s minimal experience among the group. Righty AJ Blubaugh made one four-inning start in his MLB debut earlier this season. He has a 6.05 ERA in Triple-A. Lefty Brandon Walter, a former prospect in the Red Sox organization, signed a minor league deal last summer and was selected to the big league roster shortly after the announcement that Wesneski’s season is over. He’s pitched quite well in Triple-A this year (1.94 ERA) but is in his first season back from a shoulder injury that cost him all of 2024 and has a 5.14 ERA in 28 career MLB innings. Journeyman righty Jason Alexander was recently claimed off waivers. Prospect Miguel Ullola is not yet on the 40-man roster; he has a solid 3.86 ERA and a huge 32.5% strikeout rate in Triple-A but also a grim 15.4% walk rate.

Suffice it to say, the Astros aren’t exactly plentiful in reliable rotation options at the moment. An injury to either Brown or Valdez would be a dagger to a reeling staff that’s been buoyed by a surprisingly excellent bullpen. The lack of innings from the rotation will very likely put further strain on that relief corps, however, making it all the more imperative that Houston find some rotation reinforcements, whether that help comes from within or via trade.

Of course, trading for help is far easier said than done. Even obvious sellers tend to avoid moving veteran pieces at this stage of the season, instead preferring to wait until there are more bidders and a fuller grasp of the potential market later in the summer. On top of that, the Astros will face some financial limitations if they look to bring in anyone from outside the organization. Owner Jim Crane didn’t expressly state it on the record, but multiple reports and nearly all of the Astros’ offseason actions made clear that Crane is intent on remaining south of the $241MM luxury tax threshold in 2025. An exception might have been made had Alex Bregman taken the team’s reported six-year offer, but that seems to have been the only scenario in which Crane was content to pay the tax. At the moment, RosterResource projects the Astros with about $235.5MM of luxury considerations.

For the time being, Houston will likely attempt to tread water with in-house options. Arrighetti could be back in around a month if all goes well; Espada told reporters last week that he was set for a follow-up visit to check in on his thumb’s progress and could begin playing catch a few days after the fact. He’ll need to progress through flat ground throwing, mound sessions, live batting practice and multiple minor league rehab starts before rejoining the team, however. No one else among Houston’s contingent of injured starters will be back anytime soon.

Barring a surprising acquisition, the Astros will be forced to continue operating with 60% of their Opening Day rotation on the shelf. The silver lining is that the 40% that remains healthy — Brown and Valdez — are far and away the team’s two best starters. If they can stay afloat in the standings, it’s all but a given that the Astros will target rotation help on the summer trade market. They’re currently in second place in the AL West, sitting a game and a half behind the division-leading Mariners. Houston and Cleveland are currently tied for the final two Wild Card spots in the American League, but six teams (Royals, Rays, Rangers, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Angels) are within four games in that tightly contested race.

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Houston Astros Newsstand Ronel Blanco

Miguel Amaya Likely Out Four To Six Weeks
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Orioles Select Matt Bowman
View Comments (26)
Post a Comment

26 Comments

  1. ks

    3 weeks ago

    First Wesneski, now Blanco. This is not what they need.

    4
    Reply
  2. coaster80

    3 weeks ago

    Enter Trevor Bauer???

    Go straight turn heel

    2
    Reply
    • Beernbaseballguy

      3 weeks ago

      When were they not heel? It seems like they’ve been heel turned since 2017

      11
      Reply
    • Major League Baseball Fan

      3 weeks ago

      Trevor lives in some lonely dudes heads. Travesty.

      Reply
    • Steinbrenner2728

      3 weeks ago

      “Turning heel” is a professional wrestling term. This is baseball, maybe WWE can bring him on, but he won’t ever be back in MLB again.

      1
      Reply
    • Stallion97

      3 weeks ago

      Not sure if his current NPB contract would let him go right now.

      1
      Reply
    • bwmiller79

      2 weeks ago

      McCuller’s struck out 12 in his last start, they have three aces if he gets it going.

      All the depth in their rotation has evaporated. They’ll need to stay healthy.

      They can find a fiur and a five out of Arrighetti, Gusto, Walter, Garcia –

      bullpen has been good.

      Reply
  3. Mr. McNasty

    3 weeks ago

    Tommy John.

    1
    Reply
    • Mr. McNasty

      3 weeks ago

      Told ya.

      Reply
  4. Footjoyboi

    3 weeks ago

    As long as McCullers stays healthy and Gusto can give some good innings, the Astros should be able to tread water until Cristian Javier gets back and then hopefully be in a position to rent another Kikuchi at the trade deadline. Offense is getting better and so is bullpen, so just need to hope for no more injuries.

    3
    Reply
    • Birdie man

      3 weeks ago

      Yeah, ‘cause every team goes into the season saying “If we can only
      Just tread water for a while”.

      Reply
    • Astros West Texas

      3 weeks ago

      Gusto, Gordon, Blumbaugh, Arrighetti and Brandon Walter. I am SO infinitely pleased with Astros brain-trust ability to amass quality starting pitching, and NOBODY talks about it.

      1
      Reply
  5. chandlerbing

    3 weeks ago

    Inevitable
    Thats 5 astro SP in last 2 yrs to undergo TJ
    Insanity

    2
    Reply
  6. mlb fan

    3 weeks ago

    Here comes the “Astros are ruining pitching” diatribe in 5..4….3..2

    1
    Reply
    • Paleobros

      3 weeks ago

      Hmmmm. Still waiting for it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

      3
      Reply
  7. ❤️ MuteButton

    3 weeks ago

    Brandon Walters looked real good and his only start this year. Five innings of shut out baseball. He has been lights out at AAA.
    The Astros always seem to find replacements. Almost like something from nothing.
    Another thing that seems to be an inevitability is Astro pitchers and injury.

    3
    Reply
  8. Birdie man

    3 weeks ago

    Another one bites the dust.

    Reply
  9. saj

    3 weeks ago

    Calling Marc Elias.

    Reply
  10. Old York

    3 weeks ago

    Can’t we use AI to build bolt-on arms for humans? Then we can just replace his arm the same day and he can finish another 100 pitches in a game. Can’t imagine a human arm is that complicated to build.

    2
    Reply
    • Cora the Destroya

      3 weeks ago

      Funny how you mention AI when years ago potchers could pitch insane amounts and be fine. It can be done without AI, so long as we don’t keep pandering to the pitchers. Maybe we just need a time machine

      1
      Reply
  11. Astros West Texas

    3 weeks ago

    From Brian McTaggart, on X

    Astros GM Dana Brown today with
    @SeanUnfiltered
    on
    @SportsTalk790
    said Luis Garcia is on target to return in “late July, early August.”

    and “Astros did get some good news: Spencer Arrighetti began playing catch yesterday.”

    2
    Reply
  12. Captainmike1

    3 weeks ago

    Take Stroman please

    Reply
    • ChazzyB

      3 weeks ago

      Not a bad option honestly if NYY eats salary.

      Reply
      • Captainmike1

        3 weeks ago

        About $50 to eat

        Reply
  13. kahnkobra

    3 weeks ago

    why would he be ready to return by spring training when hes having TJS basically in June

    Reply
    • Justanotherstrosfan

      3 weeks ago

      Well, if you actually read the article and previous comments you would see Blanco returns next year and Garcia, who’s been out 2 years is on track to return in July or August.

      Reply

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