Fantasy News

• Astros' Framber Valdez: Plays catch Monday

  Rotowire Apr 15, 2024

  Valdez (elbow) played some light catch Monday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. He had been slated to play catch Tuesday, but evidently the decision was made to move it up a day. Valdez is on the injured list with left elbow inflammation but is hopeful that he can return when first eligible April 23. It's possible, though he certainly has more work to do first before he can reach that goal.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Set to throw Tuesday

  Rotowire Apr 14, 2024

  Valdez (elbow) said he's scheduled to play catch Tuesday and hopes to return from the 15-day injured list when first eligible, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. The quick return to throwing bodes well for the left-hander after he landed on the injured list with elbow inflammation, though that hardly guarantees a quick return from the IL. The Astros should provide more clarity on Valdez's outlook after he throws Tuesday.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Lands on injured list

  Rotowire Apr 9, 2024

  Valdez was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with left elbow inflammation, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. It's not a major surprise after the left-hander was scratched from his start Monday due to elbow soreness. Valdez will be shut down from throwing for the next couple days before being re-evaluated, so at this point he's without a clear timeline for his return beyond the 15-day minimum for the injured list.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Getting sore elbow checked out

  Rotowire Apr 8, 2024

  Valdez was scratched ahead of his scheduled start Monday against the Rangers after experiencing soreness in the top of his left elbow after playing catch, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. Valdez has been sent back to Houston to be evaluated by team doctors. Both Astros manager Joe Espada and general manager Dana Brown have downplayed the level of concern, noting that the lefty hasn't yet been placed on the injured list. That said, more won't be known until the team gets results of the exam, which won't be until at least Tuesday. Blair Henley is drawing a spot start Monday in Valdez's place.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Bounces back in second start

  Rotowire Apr 2, 2024

  Valdez did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing six hits and no walks over 7.2 scoreless innings in a 2-1 loss to Toronto. He struck out five. After issuing six walks over 4.2. innings against the Yankees on Opening Day, Valdez returned to form Tuesday against Toronto, throwing 61 of his 85 pitches for strikes while limiting hard contact. However, despite shutting the Jays out for 7.2 innings, Valdez ultimately wound up with a no-decision after Josh Hader allowed a two-run homer to Davis Schneider in the ninth. The 30-year-old Valdez will be looking for his first win of the campaign in his next start, currently scheduled for Monday against the Rangers.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Named Opening Day starter

  Rotowire Mar 15, 2024

  Astros manager Joe Espada announced Friday that Valdez will be the team's Opening Day starter, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. Valdez was the obvious choice with Justin Verlander (shoulder) on the shelf. The veteran left-hander held a 2.51 first-half ERA but a 4.66 ERA after the All-Star break last season. He will be taking on the Yankees at home March 28.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Throwing sim game Wednesday

  Rotowire Mar 6, 2024

  Valdez will not make his scheduled Grapefruit League start Wednesday against the Mets and will instead face hitters in a simulated game, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports. With a threat of rain in the afternoon, the Astros have changed plans and will now have Valdez throw on the back fields in the morning to ensure he gets his work in. Seth Martinez will step in to face the Mets, weather permitting. Coming off a second straight All-Star season, Valdez looks like a lock to start for Houston on Opening Day, especially given that Justin Verlander (shoulder) has been ruled out for the start of the season.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Could call own games

  Rotowire Feb 29, 2024

  Valdez will experiment with calling some of his own pitches during spring training, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. Valdez will wear a PitchCom device that will allow him to send signals to the catcher beginning with his Grapefruit League debut Friday. Assuming the experiment goes well, he's expected to continue the practice into the regular season, though it's unclear if any other Astros starter will follow suit. Valdez appears to be making the shift as a result of the departure of Martin Maldonado, who caught every inning that he threw in 2023 and all but three frames in the last two seasons.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Reaches deal with Astros

  Rotowire Jan 11, 2024

  Valdez signed a one-year, $12.1 million contract with the Astros on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. Valdez has proven to be among the most durable pitchers in the league, throwing a combined 399.1 innings across the last two campaigns. His results have also been strong in that span, and he managed a 3.45 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP and 200:57 K:BB in 2023. Valdez will nearly double his salary as a result and will be a key piece of the Astros' rotation once again for the upcoming campaign.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Strikes out six in loss

  Rotowire Oct 23, 2023

  Valdez took the loss in Sunday's 9-2 defeat to the Rangers in Game 6 of the ALCS, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks across five innings. He struck out six. Valdez fared better in this outing given that he could not make it out of the third inning in his last start, but it still was not enough for him to avoid his third loss in a row. The bulk of the damage came off a changeup he hung in the zone to Jonah Heim that was scraped over the wall for a two-run shot. Valdez's struggles this postseason are surprising compared to his robust 3.45 ERA across 198 innings in the regular season, although it may be that such a large workload has caused him to tire out at the finish line. On the other hand, he managed to keep his strikeouts in line with his average 6.5 per start, hinting at his upside if he can limit his mistakes. Valdez has pitched to a 9.00 ERA and 2.08 WHIP with 17 strikeouts across 12 innings this postseason.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Lined up to start Game 6

  Rotowire Oct 20, 2023

  Valdez will start Sunday in Game 6 of the ALCS against the Rangers, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. Valdez was rocked for five runs -- four earned -- over just 2.2 innings in taking a loss in Game 2, so he'll be looking for better results Sunday on an extra day of rest. Nathan Eovaldi is lined up to start Game 6 for the Rangers.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Going in Game 2 for Houston

  Rotowire Oct 5, 2023

  Valdez will start for the Astros on Sunday in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Twins, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. Houston will go with Justin Verlander for the series opener before turning to Valdez in Game 2. Valdez was a little shaky in his final two starts of the regular season with 10 runs (nine earned) allowed over 9.1 innings, although he fanned 17 batters to finish with an even 200 strikeouts on the season.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Wild in no-decision

  Rotowire Sep 28, 2023

  Valdez allowed three runs on five hits and five walks while striking out seven over four innings in a no-decision versus the Mariners on Wednesday. Valdez walked five batters for the third time this year, and he's issued multiple free passes in three of his last five starts. This was a short outing of 83 pitches (49 strikes), which could allow Valdez to line up for an early playoff game or potentially a brief bullpen assignment over the weekend if the Astros are looking to secure a playoff spot. Through 198 innings this year, he's posted a 3.45 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 200:57 K:BB over 31 starts.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Goes seven to earn 12th win

  Rotowire Sep 17, 2023

  Valdez (12-10) earned the win Sunday, allowing an unearned run on five hits and one walk over seven innings in a 7-1 win over the Royals. He struck out five. A throwing error led to an unearned run that gave Kansas City an early lead, but Valdez was aided by a couple of double plays and an out at the plate to otherwise keep the Royals off the board. It was the fifth consecutive quality start for Valdez, who has gone at least seven innings in seven of his last nine starts. Among all qualified American League starters, Valdez ranks second in innings (188.2), fifth in ERA (3.20), sixth in WHIP (1.09), seventh in strikeouts (183) and second in quality starts (20). He's currently penciled in to face the Royals again next weekend in Houston.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Fans 10 but takes loss

  Rotowire Sep 12, 2023

  Valdez (11-10) took the loss against Oakland on Monday, allowing three runs on four hits and one walk while striking out 10 batters over seven innings. Valdez racked up 18 swinging strikes and finished with his third double-digit punchout game of the season, but he also served up two long balls. Those were enough to send him to the loss in a game during which Houston was held to three hits and no runs by a trio of Oakland hurlers. Valdez nonetheless extended his streak of quality starts to four, and he's allowed just six runs over 27 innings during that stretch. The Dominican hurler is tied for fourth in the majors with 19 quality starts on the campaign and also holds a 3.32 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 178:48 K:BB over 181.2 frames.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Supplies seven strong innings

  Rotowire Sep 6, 2023

  Valdez (11-9) earned the win Tuesday, allowing one run on six hits and four walks over seven innings against the Rangers. He struck out four. Valdez kept one of MLB's most explosive offenses in check Tuesday, allowing just one run to score across seven innings of work. However, he did endure some hiccups, most notably in the form of his four walks. Regardless, Tuesday's performance continued a strong stretch for Valdez, who owns a 1.35 ERA and a 15:9 K:BB across his last three appearances (20 innings). He's tentatively scheduled to take on the Athletics at MInute Maid Park for his next start.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Collects win No. 10

  Rotowire Aug 31, 2023

  Valdez (10-9) picked up the win in Wednesday's 7-4 victory over the Red Sox, giving up four runs (two earned) on five hits over six innings. He struck out five without walking a batter. The southpaw blanked Boston for five frames before fading in the sixth, but a Jeremy Pena error helped reduce the damage to his ERA and Houston had already piled up a seven-run lead. It's Valdez's first win since his no-hitter Aug. 1 against the Guardians, with the two outings bookending a month in which he posted a 3.67 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 30:11 K:BB through 41.2 innings. Valdez will look to take some momentum into his next start, which is likely to come early next week on the road against the Rangers.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Spins seven no-hit innings

  Rotowire Aug 25, 2023

  Valdez did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing five walks but no hits over seven shutout innings versus the Tigers. He struck out six. Valdez hadn't walked more than two in any start since the beginning of July, but his control abandoned him in this one, as he also hit a batter in addition to the five free passes. His pitch count ballooned to 114 through seven frames because of the wildness, leaving Astros manager Dusty Baker with no choice but to pull Valdez in the middle of a no-hitter. Bryan Abreu lost the no-no in the eighth and Ryan Pressly lost the game in the ninth. Valdez, of course, completed a no-hitter earlier this month against the Guardians, but he's been up-and-down since the All-Star break (5.33 ERA), mixing in some clunkers with his brilliant efforts.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Rocked by Mariners

  Rotowire Aug 19, 2023

  Valdez (9-9) took the loss Saturday, allowing six runs on 10 hits and two walks over five innings against the Mariners. He struck out five. Valdez struggled to get through the Mariners lineup, giving up a season-high 10 hits and tying his season high in runs allowed. He struggled mightily with power, giving up five extra-base hits on the day, including a two-run home run to Dylan Moore in the fifth. Since throwing a no-hitter on Aug. 1, Valdez owns a 6.86 ERA, 12:5 K:BB and 2.3 HR/9 over 19.2 innings. He's set up for a bounce-back opportunity in his next projected start, which is tentatively scheduled to come against the Tigers in Detroit.

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• Astros' Framber Valdez: Goes 7.2 innings in loss

  Rotowire Aug 14, 2023

  Valdez (9-8) took the loss Monday, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk over 7.2 innings against the Marlins. He struck out four. It was a solid outing overall for Valdez -- he allowed just one earned run through his first six innings before allowing back-to-back homers to Jorge Soler and Luis Arraez in the eighth. The 29-year-old Valdez had allowed four or more runs in four of his previous five outings (his no-hitter on Aug. 1 was the lone outlier), working to a 6.10 ERA in that span. Overall, he sports a 3.31 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP and 148:36 K:BB across 23 starts (149.2 innings) this season. Valdez is currently lined up for a home matchup with the Red Sox in his next start.

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