Ronel Blanco will undergo Tommy John surgery
Houston Astros right-handed pitcher Ronel Blanco will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, which will sideline him for the remainder of the 2025 season, manager Joe Espada announced Wednesday.
Blanco sought a second opinion after being placed on the injured list last week due to elbow inflammation. His last appearance on the mound was May 17.
The Astros announced that Blanco, 31, is expected to return sometime in the 2026 season. So far this season, the pitcher has a 3-4 record with a 4.10 ERA, 48 strikeouts, and 20 walks in nine starts.I know how hard you’ve worked to get to this point and it’s unfortunate. The goal now is for you to recover and return sometime next season.
Joe Espada, Astros Manager
Espada mentioned that this is a difficult moment for the Astros, who already have a long list of starting pitchers on the injured list.
Right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski also underwent Tommy John surgery, which will prevent him from playing this season. In addition, Spencer Arrighetti has been out since April due to a fracture in his right thumb suffered during batting practice. Houston is also without Luis Garcia and Cristian Javier, who are still recovering from Tommy John surgery.Blanco is in his fourth season in the Major Leagues, all with the Astros. In 2024, he finished with a 13-6 record with an ERA of 2.80 in 30 games (29 starts).It’s very, very difficult. We went through this last year. But as a team and as the leader of this team, I have to keep these guys focused on the objective… and this news means we have to support each other and find someone else. Someone will step up and step up to cover these entries.
Joe Espada, Astros Manager
The pitcher threw the only complete game of his career in his season debut on April 1, not allowing hits to the Toronto Blue Jays in a 10-0 victory.
