Yet ANOTHER Houston Astros Starter To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

It's been a stunning rash of elbow injuries for the Houston Astros over the past year, with yet another starter, Ronel Blanco, set to undergo Tommy John surgery.

Joe Espada confirms that Ronel Blanco is having Tommy John surgery #Astros
— Leah Vann (@LVann_Sports) May 28, 2025

Blanco, 31, who threw a no-hitter in 2024 on his way to a tremendous season of a 13-6 record, a 2.80 ERA and an MLB-best .190 batting average against, was off to a bit of a slower start this year, with a 4.10 ERA, but was still a very valued member of the Astros' rotation.

He now joins an alarming list of Houston starters to undergo the dreaded Tommy John procedure within the past year, along with Hayden Wesneski, Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy. The last two had their surgeries almost exactly a year ago, and Urquidy has since left the organization and signed with the Detroit Tigers.

Blanco reported elbow soreness two days after his last start on May 17th, which ended without any indication that anything was wrong.

“We never saw this one coming,” manager Joe Espada said.

The Astros released a statement that Blanco is “anticipated to return during the 2026 season,” likely late in the first half of the campaign.

“It’s very, very hard to have a conversation with any of your players when they’re going to miss the remainder of the season,” Espada said. “[It’s] very, very difficult. I know how hard he’s worked to get to this point, and it stinks. The goal is now to get him healthy, get him back at some point next season.”