HOUSTON -- Now that the Astros have completed a stretch without a day off from Aug. 16-Sept. 2 -- they went 10-8 and padded their American League West lead over the Mariners -- they will likely return to a five-man pitching rotation, which means Ronel Blanco could be temporarily sent to the bullpen. Houston has used a six-man rotation since Justin Verlander returned from the injured list on Aug. 21. Blanco has been terrific for the Astros this season, going 10-6 with a 3.03 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP and a .190 batting average against. He threw baseball's first no-hitter of the season on April 1, and he flirted with another in his following start, stabilizing a rotation that navigated a rash of injuries early in the season. "He is growing," Astros manager Joe Espada said. "He's turning out to be one of those really good starters that we're always looking for here in the organization. He just came out of nowhere, right? He's becoming one of the good ones for our future." |
So why take Blanco out of the rotation? Blanco has thrown a career-high 148 1/3 innings, and he hasn't pitched as well after the All-Star break (4.35) as he did before (2.56). His previous career high was 125 1/3 innings last season in the Major and Minor Leagues combined in his first season as a starter. "I feel really good," Blanco said. "I understand this has been a big challenge, but I'm physically really good, and my body has responded really well." The Astros' rotation has been dominant since Aug. 1, led by Framber Valdez (1.59 ERA), Hunter Brown (1.45), Spencer Arrighetti (1.95) and Yusei Kikuchi (2.57), who was acquired on July 29. Blanco said he has been holding up well physically. "I've been trying to take it a little bit easier in the gym and the running so my body won't be gassed and I'm able to recover a little bit better, so that's helped a ton," Blanco said. |
On the team's pregame radio show on Sunday on 790-AM (KBME) in Houston, Astros general manager Dana Brown explained why Blanco could be moved to the bullpen. "Simply because he's in uncharted territory [for] a guy that used to be a reliever," Brown said. "He's thrown a lot of innings, so maybe we can pull back on him. He's been really good all year and really holding this rotation together when a lot of our guys were struggling, even going back to Hunter Brown struggling [in April]. ... Blanco has been a really big part of what we're doing and has really held things together, so he may be the guy who gets a little bit of a breather." The Astros are approaching another long stretch without an off-day (Sept. 10-25), so Blanco could return to Houston's rotation then. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
TUCKER OVERCOMING FRACTURE |
While it became evident as the summer progressed that Astros slugger Kyle Tucker was probably dealing with something more serious than a right shin contusion, which is how the club described the injury he sustained when he fouled a ball off his leg June 3, the All-Star right fielder revealed following Monday's game against the Reds that he indeed had a fracture. Tucker appears set to come off the injured list and rejoin the Astros perhaps as early as Wednesday in Cincinnati. "After I got hit in the shin and everything, we did whatever imaging stuff that we did and kind of just came up with a lot of inflammation and swelling in the general area," Tucker said. "Then, after a little bit of time and continued imaging stuff, after the swelling and everything kind of calmed down, then it was revealed there was a little fracture in my shin. So, I just kind of focused on my rehab process from there and tried to get back as quick as possible." |
Tucker had a monster first two months. When he landed on the IL, his .979 OPS was fourth in MLB behind Aaron Judge (1.080) and Juan Soto (1.027) of the Yankees and Marcell Ozuna of the Braves (1.000). Tucker also ranked second in the American League in walks (46) and third in slugging (.584), and he was the only qualifying player in the AL with more walks than strikeouts. Tucker was the third player in franchise history with at least 19 homers in the team's first 59 games. |
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ARRIGHETTI, HADER EARN AUGUST HONORS |
Arrighetti was named AL Rookie of the Month and reliever Josh Hader was named AL Reliever of the Month on Tuesday, marking the first time two Astros players had received a monthly award in the same month since August 2019. That's when third baseman Alex Bregman was named Player of the Month and designated hitter Yordan Alvarez won Rookie of the Month. |
Arrighetti bcame the first Astros player to win Rookie of the Month since Alvarez. He's the first Houston pitcher to receive the award since right-hander Collin McHugh in September 2014. Arrighetti, 24, posted a 1.95 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP with 47 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings over five starts in August. He capped the month by throwing seven no-hit innings against the Phillies on Aug. 28. |
Hader allowed three runs (one earned) in 13 1/3 innings (a 0.68 ERA) with a 0.60 WHIP, holding opponents to a .071 batting average. Hader earned his sixth career Reliever of the Month (last in April 2023 with the Padres). The strong months from Arrighetti and Hader came as part of a historic month for the Astros' pitching staff. Houston allowed a .185 batting average during August, the second-lowest team opponents' batting average in any month by any club in AL/NL history. The Astros also set their franchise record for the month of August with 291 strikeouts. |
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