Astros' Ronel Blanco: Has internal brace procedure
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Blanco's (elbow) Tommy John procedure included an internal brace and a repair of the flexor tendon in his forearm, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported Friday.
Blanco underwent the surgery Friday, and the procedure included some fixes to the flexor tendon. Blanco isn't expected back until deep into the 2026 season.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Surgery scheduled for Friday
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Blanco (elbow) is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery Friday, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
It was announced last week that Blanco needed the operation to repair a torn UCL in his right elbow and now the surgery is officially on the calendar. He will be out at least until the second half of the 2026 season.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Undergoing Tommy John surgery
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Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that Blanco (elbow) will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
The team announced that Blanco would be undergoing season-ending elbow surgery Wednesday but didn't supply the specifics regarding the procedure. It's now known that Blanco will require Tommy John surgery, which will likely force him to miss a significant portion of the 2026 campaign. Colton Gordon should hold down Blanco's spot in the rotation until the Astros get Luis Garcia (elbow) or Spencer Arrighetti (thumb) back from the injured list.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: To have season-ending surgery
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Blanco (elbow) will undergo surgery next week and will be sidelined for the rest of the 2025 season, the Astros announced Wednesday.
Blanco reported soreness in his throwing elbow on May 19 and hit the injured list May 22 with elbow inflammation. Houston sought out a second opinion on the 31-year-old's injury, which yielded severe enough results to require season-ending surgery. It's unclear if he will have traditional Tommy John surgery or a hybrid internal brace procedure. Colton Gordon should fill Blanco's spot in the rotation until Luis Garcia (elbow) or Spencer Arrighetti (thumb) are reinstated from the IL, which isn't expected to happen until late June or July. Blanco finishes 2025 with a 3-4 record, a 4.10 ERA and 48:20 K:BB in 48.1 innings spanning nine starts.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Lands on IL, seeking second opinion
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The Astros placed Blanco on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to right elbow inflammation, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Blanco's first examination Wednesday revealed inflammation in his elbow, which was all the Astros needed to hear to put him on the shelf for at least the next 15 days. It's still unknown exactly how much time the 31-year-old will miss, but his upcoming meeting with a second doctor should help the team determine the next steps in Blanco's recovery.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Takes loss despite quality start
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Blanco (3-4) was charged with the loss Saturday, giving up three runs on five hits and three walks over six innings in a 5-1 loss against the Rangers. He struck out five.
The right-hander came out for the sixth inning with the game tied 1-1, but a Joc Pederson two-run homer put him on the hook for the loss. It's the third straight quality start for Blanco, and he hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in an outing since April 6. He has a 3.24 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 39:14 K:BB across 41.2 innings during that stretch.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Dominates in victory
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Blanco (3-3) allowed two hits and a walk over eight shutout innings Sunday, striking out 11 and earning a win over the Reds.
Blanco was nearly untouchable in his dominant outing Sunday. He retired the first nine batters he faced and did not allow a runner to reach third base. It was his first career double-digit strikeout performance and his longest start since throwing a no-hitter April 1, 2024. Blanco threw 65 of 101 pitches for strikes and generated 16 whiffs, including nine with the slider. He dropped his ERA to 4.04 with a 43:17 K:BB through 42.1 innings. Blanco is currently lined up for a road start against the Rangers next weekend.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Gets little support in defeat
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Blanco (2-3) took the loss against Milwaukee on Monday, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six batters over six innings.
Blanco pitched well enough to notch a quality start, but the Astros managed just one run against Brewers starter Tobias Myers and four relievers. Blanco impressed with 14 whiffs and threw 19 of 26 first pitches for strikes but was done in by a rough third inning during which he gave up all three of his runs, two of which came on a Christian Yelich homer. The right-hander has completed at least five innings and yielded three or fewer runs in each of his past five starts, and he's projected to face Cincinnati the next time he takes the mound.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Fans six in five frames
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Blanco allowed three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six batters over five innings in a no-decision against Detroit on Monday.
All three runs Blanco allowed came via the long ball, as Kerry Carpenter hit a two-run shot against him in the third inning and Riley Greene added a solo homer in the fourth. Otherwise, Blanco was pretty solid, as he surrendered just one other hit and induced a healthy 19 swinging strikes. The right-hander has completed at least five frames and given up three or fewer runs in five of his six appearances this season, and his lone ugly outing was a four-run, 1.2-inning start against Minnesota on April 6.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Earns first win
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Blanco (1-1) allowed two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out seven over five innings to earn the win over the Angels on Friday.
The Astros' offense was a little quiet early on before erupting for a six-run fifth inning. Blanco had allowed a solo home run to Mike Trout in the fourth and an RBI single to Jo Adell in the fifth to account for the two runs on his line. This was Blanco's first win in three starts, and he threw of 52 of 84 pitches for strikes. He's struggled with walks at times this year -- he has a 16:7 K:BB over 11.2 innings while adding a 6.94 ERA and 1.63 WHIP. However, the Trout homer was the first long ball Blanco's given up, and he should be able to find a decent amount of success if he keeps the ball down. The right-hander's next start is projected to be on the road versus the Cardinals next week.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Struggles against Twins
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Blanco pitched 1.2 innings, giving up four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out three batters in Sunday's 9-7 extra-inning win over the Twins. He did not factor into the decision.
Blanco was in trouble early Sunday, surrendering three hits and a walk in the first inning, which resulted in three runs for Minnesota. He then walked two batters and gave up two singles while recording just two outs in the second frame. Blanco has now combined to allow seven runs on eight hits and six walks while striking out nine batters over 6.2 innings in two starts this season. His next turn in the rotation is tentatively set to come Saturday at home against the Angels.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Goes five in loss
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Blanco (0-1) took the loss Monday against the Giants, pitching five innings while allowing three runs on three hits and three walks. He struck out six.
Blanco was not sharp during the Grapefruit League, pitching to an 8.44 ERA and 2.25 WHIP across 10.2 innings, and carried that malaise into this performance. The Houston right-hander labored across his five frames, requiring 92 pitches, only 43.5 percent of which found the strike zone, to complete the task. Blanco will look to bounce back in his next start this weekend, currently scheduled to be at Minnesota.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Fine after early removal
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Blanco was removed from his start Wednesday against the Mets after getting struck by a line drive in the fourth inning, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Blanco didn't seem to be too shaken up following the incident, but he retreated to the clubhouse afterward and was replaced on the mound for the start of the fifth inning. He later said that the ball only grazed his wrist, per Rome, and the right-hander only left the game because he had reached his pitch count. The 31-year-old Blanco finished the day with three runs allowed in 3.2 innings, bringing his Grapefruit League ERA to 8.44.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Rolls to 13th win
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Blanco (13-6) picked up the win Friday at Cleveland, pitching five scoreless innings while allowing one hit and two walks. He struck out three.
The Houston right-hander took a 0.95 ERA over 19 September frames into this game, and Friday represented his third scoreless start of the month. Blanco yielded just one hit -- a Will Brennan single in the fifth inning -- as he stymied the Guardians over 86 pitches. The 31-year-old caps a brilliant breakout season in which he was a fantasy star, producing a 2.80 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 166:68 K:BB across 167.1 innings, including a no-hitter on April 1.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Fans nine in comfortable victory
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Blanco (12-6) earned the win over the Angels on Saturday, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out nine batters over six innings.
Blanco gave up a second-inning run that tied the score 1-1, but Houston put up six more runs by the end of the third to give the right-hander plenty of padding. He yielded just one more tally -- on a Logan O'Hoppe solo homer -- and notched his second straight quality start (and second consecutive victory). Blanco has emerged as a key part of the Astros' rotation with a 2.88 ERA (fifth among qualified pitchers), 1.10 WHIP and 163:66 K:BB over 162.1 innings, though it's possible he moves to the bullpen once the postseason begins.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Excellent in return to rotation
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Blanco (11-6) allowed four hits and two walks while striking out five over six scoreless innings to earn the win over the Angels on Sunday.
Blanco struggled with a 4.98 ERA over 34.1 innings across seven appearances immediately after the All-Star break. He's since turned things around with a 13-inning scoreless streak over three outings (two starts) in September, though it likely helped that he had a turn through the rotation skipped last week. Overall, Blanco has a 2.88 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 154:64 K:BB through 156.1 innings this season. If the Astros stick with a six-man rotation this week, Blanco is lined up to face the Angels again, with that outing in Houston.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Available out of bullpen
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Blanco will be available out of the bullpen for this weekend's series against the Diamondbacks, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Manager Joe Espada confirmed, however, that the Astros will be returning to a six-man rotation following Monday's team off day, which means Blanco will be back in the rotation next weekend in Anaheim. Chances are, the right-hander will return to the bullpen for the postseason, but with Houston not having another day off after Monday until Sept. 26, Blanco could perhaps make two more starts before the end of the campaign. He's already thrown a career-high 148.1 innings in 2024.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Eventual move to bullpen likely
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Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that Blanco is the most likely candidate to move to the bullpen when the team shifts to a five-man rotation, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
The Astros have been utilizing a six-man rotation since Justin Verlander returned from the injured list in late August, but a move back a traditional five-man setup is imminent. Blanco's next turn would come up Sunday against the Diamondbacks, but it's not clear whether he will take the ball that day or move to the bullpen before then. The 31-year-old has been a godsend for the Astros' rotation this season, but he does have a 4.35 ERA in the second half and is already more than 20 innings past last year's workload. Blanco was used almost exclusively in relief from 2018-22.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Falls short of quality start
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Blanco came away with a no-decision in Monday's 3-2 extra-inning loss to the Phillies, giving up two runs on seven hits and two walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out five.
The right-hander blanked Philly through four innings before giving up single runs in the fifth and sixth, and Blanco left the mound after 91 pitches (61 strikes) just short of his 13th quality start of the season. He's taken a big step back since the All-Star break, managing only one QS in seven trips to the mound while posting a 4.98 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 41:15 K:BB through 34.1 innings, and his career-high workload of 143.1 frames likely has something to do with that. Blanco will look for his first win since July 9 in his next outing, which lines up to come at home this weekend against the Royals.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Set to start Tuesday
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Blanco (finger) is scheduled to start Tuesday against the Red Sox, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
The right-hander reported some finger soreness after being hit by a comebacker during his previous start Wednesday, but he'll be ready to make his next turn through the rotation Tuesday versus Boston. Blanco has pitched well in his first three starts of August with a 2.40 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB across 15 innings.
