Astros' Framber Valdez: Bounces back with quality start
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Valdez allowed two runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out two in six innings Sunday versus the Padres. He did not factor into the decision.
Valdez exhibited some early command issues with three walks and a run allowed in his first two innings. The Padres put up another run in the third after Fernando Tatis led off the frame with a triple. Valdez settled in with three scoreless frames over the back half of his start and ended at 87 pitches while pounding the zone with 63 strikes. It's been mixed results for Valdez through his first five starts, but he lowered his ERA to 4.50 after allowing seven runs against St. Louis to open up the week. He'll try to get back in the win column for the first time since his debut in a road start versus the Royals over the weekend.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Hit hard by Cardinals
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Valdez (1-2) took the loss against St. Louis on Monday, allowing seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits and one walk while striking out three batters over four-plus innings.
Though Valdez didn't give up any homers, the Cardinals hit the ball plenty hard against him and racked up five doubles. The southpaw ended his outing in poor form, giving up five hits -- including three doubles -- to the final seven batters he faced and exiting in a 6-0 hole. This was Valdez's shortest outing of the campaign, as he had gone at least five frames in each of his previous three starts. It's been a roller coaster for the Astros' ace to begin the season -- he's hurled two scoreless outings, but in his other two starts he's given up a combined 11 earned runs across nine innings.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Dominant in six scoreless innings
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Valdez didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against Seattle after allowing two runs and one walk in six innings, striking out eight.
Valdez overcame an illness to take his turn in the rotation Tuesday, dominating the Mariners while pouring in 64 of his 94 pitches for strikes over six shutout frames. Ryan Bliss doubled off the left-hander in the fifth inning, but Valdez left him stranded in scoring position. The southpaw will carry an excellent 2.50 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 21:2 K:BB across 18 innings (three starts) into his next scheduled appearance in St. Louis, which is tentatively set for early next week.
Valdez (illness) is starting Tuesday's game against the Mariners, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
The left-hander was dealing with some fatigue and a sore throat over the weekend, but he's ready to take his regular turn through the rotation Tuesday. Valdez delivered seven scoreless frames in his season debut but surrendered five runs over five innings during his most recent start last Wednesday.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Seven shutout frames on Opening Day
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Valdez (1-0) picked up the win Thursday against the Mets, striking out four and giving up four hits and two walks across seven scoreless frames.
Valdez got off to a rocky start by allowing one hit and one walk in the first frame, but he managed to escape unscathed and didn't face much resistance over the following six innings. The Astros' shutout was broken in the ninth inning when Josh Hader gave up a sacrifice fly to Francisco Lindor, but the southpaw reliever managed to punch out Juan Soto for the save to give Valdez the Opening Day victory. It's a strong start to the 2025 season for Valdez after posting career bests in 2024 in ERA (2.91) and WHIP (1.11) across 176.1 regular-season frames. He's tentatively slated to face off against the Giants at home next week.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Named Opening Day starter
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Manager Joe Espada announced Sunday that Valdez will start Opening Day against the Mets on March 27, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
After posting a career-best 2.91 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP and 169:55 K:BB across 176.1 regular-season innings last season, it was only a matter of time before Espada named Valdez as Houston's Opening Day starter. The left-hander has focused on the movement of his pitches during spring training and overall has pitched well with a 2.53 ERA across 10.2 innings.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Earning $18 million in 2025
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Valdez and the Astros agreed to a one-year, $18 million contract to avoid arbitration Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Valdez is entering his final year of arbitration eligibility and will earn nearly $6 million more than he did in 2024. He's emerged as one of the more reliable pitchers around the league in recent seasons, posting no worse than a 3.45 ERA in any season since 2021. Valdez has also completed at least 176 innings in each of the last three campaigns.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Blanks Arizona for 14th win
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Valdez (14-6) picked up the win in Friday's 8-0 rout of the Diamondbacks, allowing two hits and three walks over seven scoreless innings. He struck out seven.
Valdez has now held the opposition scoreless three times in his last four trips to the mound. The southpaw has been nearly untouchable since the beginning of August, giving up only 15 hits in 41 innings over his last six starts en route to a 1.32 ERA, 0.66 WHIP and 45:12 K:BB. Valdez will look to stay dominant in his next outing, which is scheduled to come at home next week against the Athletics.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Dazzles in no-decision
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Valdez came away with a no-decision in Friday's 3-2 win over the Royals, walking three batters over seven no-hit, scoreless innings. He struck out seven.
The southpaw closed the books on August the same way he started it, by teasing a no-hitter, but Valdez left the mound after 98 pitches (60 strikes) with Houston clinging to a 1-0 lead that Josh Hader eventually squandered. The quality start was Valdez's 14th of the year, and he didn't give up more than three runs in any of his five August outings, posting a 1.59 ERA, 0.65 WHIP and 38:9 K:BB through 34 innings on the month. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Diamondbacks.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Falters late in loss
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Valdez (13-6) took the loss against the Orioles on Saturday, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk with eight strikeouts over 5.2 innings.
Valdez was pulled with a 2-0 lead and the bases loaded in the sixth inning but all three runs crossed home plate on a pinch-hit double by Jackson Holliday. It was the southpaw's first loss since June 18 and just the second time in seven starts since the All-Star break he's allowed more than two earned runs. On the season, Valdez owns a 3.27 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 139:44 K:BB across 143.1 innings and lines up for a home matchup with the Royals next week.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Strikes out nine in win
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Valdez (12-5) earned the win Monday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over 5.2 innings against the Rays. He struck out nine.
Valdez allowed Taylor Walls to double his season total in extra-base hits but otherwise allowed just a couple of singles and a walk that tallied merely one run. Valdez was on track for a quality start, but a two-out walk left him at 101 pitches and his night ended one out shy of his 13th such effort on the season. The veteran lefty hasn't taken the loss during any of his last nine starts, going 7-0 with a 2.68 ERA and 1.12 WHIP while punching out 66 batters over 57 innings during that stretch. He's next slated to take the hill in a highly favorable home matchup against the fledgling White Sox.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Strikes out 10 in win
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Valdez (10-5) allowed four runs on six hits and struck out 10 without walking a batter to earn the win Wednesday over the Pirates.
All of the damage came in the second inning, as Joey Bart tagged Valdez for a two-run home run and the Pirates put up another two runs before he could escape the frame. The southpaw bounced back well, allowing just one single over his last four innings, and the Astros' offense picked him up. Valdez finished July with a 2.90 ERA and 40:9 K:BB over 31 innings, winning four of his five starts for the month. Overall, he has a 3.56 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 108:38 K:BB through 116.1 innings over 19 starts. He's projected to make his next start on the road versus the Rangers.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Blanks Dodgers for ninth win
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Valdez (9-5) picked up the win Friday, allowing four hits and two walks over 6.1 scoreless innings in a 5-0 victory over the Dodgers. He struck out 10.
The 10 strikeouts tied his season high, a mark he set in his final outing before the All-Star break, while the quality start was his 11th of the campaign. Valdez has been locked in since the beginning of June, giving up three runs or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts while posting a 2.73 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 60:23 K:BB in 62.2 innings. He lines up to make his next trip to the mound at home next weekend against a Rays squad that could be seriously depleted after the trade deadline.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Strong through five innings
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Valdez did not factor into the decision in a win over Seattle on Saturday, allowing two runs on three hits and four walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out six.
Valdez managed to keep Seattle off the board until the bottom of the sixth, when Julio Rodriguez took him deep for a two-run shot. The lefty was then relieved by Tayler Scott with two outs in the frame, narrowly missing out on his third straight quality start. Valdez hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in any of his last five outings, though he's now issued multiple free passes in five of his last six. Over that latter stretch he's 3-1 with a 37:17 K:BB.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Hit hard Saturday
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Valdez allowed six runs on 10 hits and three walks while striking out five over 4.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Mets on Saturday.
Valdez struggled in the second and third innings, but the Astros were able to rally back to help him avoid a loss. Over six outings in June, he allowed 16 runs across 37.2 innings, though 11 of those runs came in two starts. The southpaw is still struggling compared to his usual level of performance with a 4.11 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 68:29 K:BB over 85.1 innings through 14 starts this year. Valdez is projected to make his next start on the road in Toronto.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Punches out seven
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Valdez (6-5) allowed a run on six hits and two walks over seven innings Sunday, striking out seven and earning a win against Baltimore.
Valdez rolled through five shutout frames without facing too much trouble before Jordan Westburg belted a solo shot in the sixth inning. The Astros gave Valdez plenty of run support as he halted a brief two-start losing streak. It was the third time this year he's struck out at least seven batters, and each of those outings have come in his last eight starts. He's produced an impressive 2.73 ERA through 33 innings this month, lowering his season mark to 3.68 across 80.2 frames. Valdez will carry a 63:26 K:BB into his next outing, which is projected to be on the road against the Mets.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Struggles with control in loss
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Valdez (5-5) took the loss Tuesday against the White Sox, allowing two runs on two hits and five walks over 6.1 innings. He struck out five.
The Houston southpaw toiled against a weak White Sox team that entered the evening collectively batting .220 with a 7.1 percent walk rate -- both qualifying as the second-worst marks in the majors. The five walks Valdez issued were the most since his first start this season against the Yankees on March 28, when he issued six free passes. The 30-year-old now sports a 3.91 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 56:24 K:BB over 73.2 innings. Valdez faces a difficult test in his next scheduled outing, slated to come against Baltimore at home this weekend.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Falls to Giants
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Valdez (5-4) took the loss Wednesday against San Francisco, allowing five runs on eight hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out one.
It was a tough day for Valdez, who allowed two runs in the third inning before the Giants scored three more in the fourth. The 30-year-old Valdez had allowed just five runs in three starts (22 innings) coming into Wednesday's matchup. The left-hander now sports a 3.99 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP and 51:19 K:BB across 67.2 innings this year. Valdez will look to rebound in his next outing, currently scheduled for early next week on the road versus the White Sox.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Goes distance in win
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Valdez (5-3) tossed a complete game to earn the win Friday over the Angels, allowing one run on four hits and a walk while striking out eight over nine innings.
The Astros' bullpen was fairly fresh, but Valdez took care of business himself in his seventh career complete game. The lone mistake on his line was a Kevin Pillar solo home run in the second inning. Valdez has quality starts in four of his last five outings, and his strong performance Friday lowered his ERA to 3.53 with a 1.15 WHIP and 50:18 K:BB over 63.2 innings through 10 starts this season. The southpaw is projected to make his next start on the road versus the Giants.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Efficient in quality start
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Valdez (4-3) earned the win over Minnesota on Saturday, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while striking out four batters over seven innings.
Valdez needed a modest 85 pitches to get through seven frames before turning the game over to the bullpen. He notched his second straight quality start and fourth over his past five contests. Overall, Valdez has given up three or fewer earned runs in seven of his nine starts on the campaign.
