11:03am: Astros manager Joe Espada provided some more specifics , revealing that Blanco will undergo Tommy John surgery. 10:28am: Astros right-hander , currently on the injured list due to elbow discomfort, will undergo season-ending surgery next week, the team announced Wednesday. Specifics on the nature of the procedure were not immediately revealed. Blanco is anticipated to return during the 2026 season, per the Astros, which suggests that he may not be ready for the start of next years spring training. Blanco, 31, hit the injured list earlier this month with what was vaguely described as elbow discomfort. The lack of specificity is par for the course for the Astros organization when it comes to injuries, but the open-ended nature of the i sue paired with GM Dana Brown stating that the Astros were hoping for the best as Blanco Terance Mann Jersey sought a second opinion created a particularly ominous air around Blancos status. It now appears that a worst-case scenario, or close to it, will play out. Subtracting Blanco from an already thin rotation mix puts Houston in a perilous position. Their one-two punch of and is among the best rotation duos in the sport. Everything thereafter gets murky. Rookies and are both in the rotation at present, as is , who just returned from an injury absence of more than two years. Gusto (4.58 ERA in 35 1/3 innings) and Gordon (5.52 ERA in 14 2/3 innings) are not top-shelf prospects but rather 26-year-olds who profile as back-end starters or perhaps multi-inning relievers. McCullers has yet to complete five innings in an outing but has been solid in three of his four abbreviated starts. In the other, however, he was decimated for seven earned runs in just one-third of an inning versus the Reds. Houstons other rotation options are more or le s all on the injured list. is still out with a broken thumb. recently underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his 2025 season. has been out more than two years due to Tommy John surgery and a series of setbacks. had Tommy John surgery last June. underwent shoulder surgery last July. The Stros do have a few more rotation candidates in Triple-A, but theres minimal experience among the group. Righty made one four-inning start in his MLB debut earlier this season. He has a 6.05 ERA in Triple-A. Lefty , a former prospect in the Red Sox organization, signed a minor league deal last summer and was selected to the big league roster shortly after the announcement that Wesneskis season is over. Hes pitched quite well in Triple-A this year (1.94 ERA) but is in his first season back from a shoulder injury that cost him all of 2024 and has a 5.14 ERA in 28 career MLB innings. Journeyman righty was recently claimed off waivers. Prospect is not yet on the 40-man roster; he has a solid 3.86 ERA and a huge 32.5% strikeout rate in Triple-A but also a grim 15.4% walk rate. Suffice it to say, the Astros arent exactly plentiful in reliable rotation options at the moment. An injury to either Brown or Valdez would be a dagger to a reeling staff thats been buoyed by a surprisingly excellent bullpen. The lack of innings from the rotation will very likely put further strain on that relief corps, however, making it all the more imperative that Houston find some rotation reinforcements, whether that help comes from within or via trade. Of course, trading for help is far easier said than done. Even obvious sellers tend to avoid moving veteran pieces at this stage of the season, instead preferring to wait until there are more bidders and a fuller grasp of the potential market later in the summer. On top of that, the Astros will face some financial limitations if they look to bring in anyone from outside the organization. Owner Jim Crane didnt expre sly state it on the record, but multiple reports and nearly all of the Astros offseason actions made clear that Crane is intent on remaining south of the $241MM luxury tax threshold in 2025. An exception might have been made had taken the teams reported six-year offer, but that seems to have been the only scenario in which Crane was content to pay the tax. At the moment, the Astros with about $235.5MM of luxury considerations. For the time being, Houston will likely attempt to tread water with in-house options. Arrighetti could be back in around a month if all goes well; Espada told reporters last week that he was set for a follow-up visit to check in on his thumbs progre s and could begin playing catch a few days after the fact. Hell need to progre s through flat ground throwing, mound se sions, live batting practice and multiple minor league rehab starts before rejoining the team, however. No one else among Houstons contingent of injured starters will be back anytime soon. Barring a surprising acquisition, the Astros will be forced to continue operating with 60% of their Opening Day rotation on the shelf. The silver lining is that the 40% that remains healthy Brown and Valdez are far and away the teams two best starters. If they can stay afloat in the standings, its all but a given that the Astros will target rotation help on the summer trade market. Theyre currently in second place in the AL West, sitting a game and a half behind the division-leading Mariners. Houston and Cleveland are currently tied for the final two Wild Card spots in the American League, but six teams (Royals, Rays, Rangers, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Angels) are within four games in that tightly contested race. Paul George Jersey