Astros' Ronel Blanco: Getting second start Wednesday
Rotowire
Blanco is scheduled to make his second MLB start Wednesday in Toronto.
After working as a reliever in his first 16 career big-league appearances, Blanco was summoned from Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday to join the Houston rotation. The 29-year-old right-hander came away with a win in his start against the Angels, striking out five while giving up two earned runs on seven hits and three walks over 5.1 innings. While the Astros are in the midst of a stretch of 17 games in 17 days, Blanco will be part of a six-man rotation, but he could be headed back to Sugar Land after Wednesday's outing since Houston is likely to transition back to a five-man rotation the following week.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Nabs win in first big-league start
Rotowire
Blanco (1-0) garnered the win against the Angels on Thursday, allowing two runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five batters over 5.1 innings.
It wasn't a breezy outing for the right-hander -- he threw just 59 of 94 pitches for a strike and dealt with plenty of traffic on the bases -- but he mostly got out of trouble when he needed to (including an inning-ending strikeout of Shohei Ohtani with the bases loaded in the second.) Blanco had come out of the bullpen for each of his first 16 major-league appearances but will pitch as a starter for the time being with the Astros not getting their next day off until June 12. It remains to be seen how he will adjust to the role, as it's relatively foreign to him -- over eight minor-league campaigns, only 23 of his 191 appearances came as a starter.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Recalled to start Thursday
Rotowire
Blanco was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Blanco will make his first major-league start Thursday against the Angels. The 29-year-old has posted a 0.56 ERA and 21:13 K:BB over 16 innings covering two starts and two relief appearances at Sugar Land this season and a 4.50 ERA in nine relief outings with Houston. He would figure to be on a relatively limited pitch count Thursday.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Sent to Triple-A
Rotowire
Blanco was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
He logged a 4.50 ERA, 1.92 WHIP and 16 strikeouts in 12 innings while working in a low-leverage role. The move clears a roster spot for Saturday's starter J.P. France.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Wins final bullpen spot
Rotowire
Blanco has won the final bullpen spot for the Astros and will make the Opening Day roster, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Blanco will be the multi-inning option for the Astros after being stretched out to throw 40-to-50 pitches over the spring. The 29-year-old earned his spot with a 0.64 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 17:3 K:BB in 14 innings during Grapefruit League play.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Stretching out
Rotowire
Pitching coach Josh Miller said Thursday that Blanco will get stretched out to 40-to-50 pitches this spring, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Blanco reached Triple-A for the first time in 2019 but has struggled to keep a spot on the major-league roster as a reliever. By shifting him toward longer stints on the mound, the Astros hope to give Blanco an additional path to sticking on the roster. He's pitched well early on this spring, throwing three scoreless innings while striking out six.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
Blanco was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday.
Blanco began the season with the major-league club but posted a 7.11 ERA and 1.89 WHIP in 6.1 innings over seven appearances while serving as a low-leverage reliever. He had 22 saves with a 3.40 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 45 innings over 42 appearances in Sugar Land last year and will attempt to replicate his success in the minors before potentially rejoining the Astros at some point.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Makes Opening Day roster
Rotowire
Astros manager Dusty Baker confirmed Sunday that Blanco's contract will be selected from Triple-A Sugar Land ahead of Opening Day, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Baker said that Blanco and Bryan Abreu secured the final two spots in the Astros' season-opening bullpen after Brandon Bielak and Seth Martinez were optioned to Sugar Land, while non-roster invitees Adam Morgan and Zac Rosscup were informed they wouldn't make the club. The 28-year-old Blanco will hit the big leagues for the first time in his career, coming off a 2021 campaign in which he posted a 3.40 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 57:16 K:BB in 45 innings for Sugar Land.
