Ronel Blanco Fantasy Stats

The Houston Astros announced on Wednesday that right-hander Ronel Blanco (elbow) will have season-ending right-elbow surgery next week. Blanco is expected to return during the 2026 season. Specifically, Blanco will have Tommy John surgery, which means he'll miss the rest of this year and most likely at least half of 2026. It's a tough blow to an Astros starting rotation that also currently has Luis Garcia (elbow) and Spencer Arrighetti (thumb) on the injured list. Now that the 31-year-old Blanco is officially done for the year, fantasy managers in single-year formats can safely drop him and look for a replacement pitcher. Left-handed rookie Colton Gordon should continue to stick in Houston's starting rotation for the foreseeable future. Before getting hurt, Blanco went 3-4 with a 4.10 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 48 strikeouts and 20 walks in 48 1/3 innings over his nine starts in 2025.

Houston Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco (elbow) is heading to the 15-day injured list and will seek a second opinion on his injured right elbow, according to manager Joe Espada. Blanco's first opinion/test showed "inflammation" in his elbow. How long Blanco will be on the shelf will be determined by whether the team finds any other issues in his arm besides inflammation. Either way, the 31-year-old Dominican pitcher isn't going to be back until at least June. Blanco has been consistent this year for Houston and his fantasy managers, allowing more than three earned runs in just one of his nine starts while striking out 48 batters in 48 1/3 innings pitched. He has picked up quality starts in four of his last five starts before coming down with some elbow problems. Until we find out more about Blanco's timetable for a return, fantasy managers should keep him stashed in an IL spot.

Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports that Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco (elbow) will be evaluated by doctors on Wednesday for elbow soreness. The 31-year-old experienced the discomfort two days ago and flew back to Houston for the evaluation. It's unfortunate news for him and the Astros, as he'd come around over his last few starts -- pitching to a 2.70 ERA and 1.00 WHIP across 20 May innings (22:6 K:BB). Blanco has been solid overall in 2025, but should be performing even better -- boasting the best quality of contact metrics of his career, with a 2.94 xERA and a .204 xBA against. We'll know more about the next steps after his evaluation, so hopefully the issue isn't too serious.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco pitched a gem on Sunday, tossing eight shutout innings with 11 strikeouts in a 6-0 win against the Reds. He allowed two hits and walked one. While this would be the best start of most pitchers' careers, this comes in a close second to Blanco's no-hitter in his first start of 2024. This is the best he has looked this season by far, generating 16 whiffs on the night. The 31-year-old has been solid but unexciting up until this point, allowing more than three runs in a start only once but also allowing less than two runs only once. This is a reminder of Blanco's ceiling when everything is working at its best, and he's a solid mid-tier rotation option for fantasy.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco (upper body) was pulled out early during Wednesday's spring training contest. Blanco was hit by a line drive in the upper body during his final inning of work. He didn't appear to be in much discomfort, but there was action in the bullpen after the incident. The Astros are likely just being cautious here with it still being spring training. Possibly a minor injury, but the Astros are likely to address Blanco's departure after the contest. For now, fantasy managers don't need to worry as it sounds like Blanco has avoided any kind of serious injury. UPDATE: Blanco gave a thumbs-up to Francisco Lindor, who hit the liner, and to catcher Yainer Diaz afterward.

Houston Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco won his 12th game of the season Saturday over the Los Angeles Angels 10-4. Blanco went six strong innings, surrendering two runs on seven hits with nine strikeouts. The veteran is 12-6 with a 2.88 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and 163 strikeouts in 162 innings. Blanco has three wins in his last seven starts, with a 2.36 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts in 34 innings. He will look to continue his strong season with a start against the Cleveland Guardians this coming week.

The Houston Astros are skipping right-hander Ronel Blanco's spot in the starting rotation this weekend against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks with the intent of returning to a six-man rotation during a stretch of 16 games without an off day. Blanco has been Houston's most consistent starter this year in a season in which their rotation has been decimated by injuries, but he threw a career-high 52 innings during the regular season in 2023 and is already at 148 1/3 frames this year over his 26 starts. Eventually, it's expected that Blanco will shift to Houston's bullpen, either at the tail end of the regular season or for the start of the postseason. The 31-year-old has been great in 2024, though, throwing a no-hitter early in the year while going 10-6 with a 3.03 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP and 144 strikeouts in 148 1/3 innings in his first full year in the team's rotation.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco (finger) is set to return to the bump on Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The 30-year-old was dealing with some general finger soreness after being hit by a comebacker in his previous start, but the injury does not seem serious, as Blanco will not miss a turn in the rotation. The right-hander has enjoyed a nice campaign so far as he sits with a solid 2.89 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and a 51:130 BB:K ratio. Since allowing a high 4.40 ERA through July, Blanco has settled down through the start of August, holding a much-improved 2.40 ERA. Blanco should remain in all starting lineups and will be a popular play in DFS on Tuesday evening, given his recent stretch.

Houston Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco (finger) left his start early on Wednesday on the road at Tropicana Field against the Tampa Bay Rays with a sore left index finger after a comebacker grazed him. Manager Joe Espada pulled Blanco from the game, but X-rays came back negative on his finger. Despite leaving with an injury, Blancos was still able to deliver a quality start for his fantasy managers in a no-decision, tossing six scoreless innings while walking none, striking out four and allowing only two hits to lower his season ERA to 2.89. The 30-year-old shouldn't have to miss his next turn in the rotation, which should come next Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox, especially since the injury was to his left (non-throwing) hand. Blanco threw the first no-hitter in baseball earlier this year and has been Houston's most consistent starter in 2024.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco (9-3) picked up his ninth win and a quality start Tuesday night, going seven innings while allowing two runs on four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in a 4-3 victory against the Miami Marlins. Blanco was near perfect on the night. The only two blemishes were solo home runs to the first and last batters of the game he faced -- Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jesus Sanchez. The Astros and fantasy managers alike are enjoying what Blanco has brought to the mound this season. With the injuries to Justin Verlander (neck) and Cristian Javier (elbow) and the overall struggles of Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown, the 30-year-old right-hander's 2.53 ERA is carrying the pitching staff as we sit here in July. Look for Blanco to continue his breakout season against the Texas Rangers, a team he hasn't faced since he allowed two runs in six innings back during his first start of the season.