Could the Astros send Blanco to the bullpen?
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HOUSTON -- Now that the Astros have completed a stretch without a day off from Aug. 16-Sept. 2 -- they went 10-8 and padded their American League West lead over the Mariners -- they will likely return to a five-man pitching rotation, which means Ronel Blanco could be temporarily sent to the bullpen. Houston has used a six-man rotation since Justin Verlander returned from the injured list on Aug. 21.
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Blanco has been terrific for the Astros this season, going 10-6 with a 3.03 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP and a .190 batting average against. He threw baseball’s first no-hitter of the season on April 1, and he flirted with another in his following start, stabilizing a rotation that navigated a rash of injuries early in the season.
“He is growing,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “He’s turning out to be one of those really good starters that we’re always looking for here in the organization. He just came out of nowhere, right? He’s becoming one of the good ones for our future.”
So why take Blanco out of the rotation?
Blanco has thrown a career-high 148 1/3 innings, and he hasn’t pitched as well after the All-Star break (4.35) as he did before (2.56). His previous career high was 125 1/3 innings last season in the Major and Minor Leagues combined in his first season as a starter.
“I feel really good,” Blanco said. “I understand this has been a big challenge, but I’m physically really good, and my body has responded really well.”
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The Astros’ rotation has been dominant since Aug. 1, led by Framber Valdez (1.59 ERA), Hunter Brown (1.45), Spencer Arrighetti (1.95) and Yusei Kikuchi (2.57), who was acquired on July 29. Blanco said he has been holding up well physically.
“I’ve been trying to take it a little bit easier in the gym and the running so my body won’t be gassed and I’m able to recover a little bit better, so that’s helped a ton,” Blanco said.
On the team’s pregame radio show on Sunday on 790-AM (KBME) in Houston, Astros general manager Dana Brown explained why Blanco could be moved to the bullpen.
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“Simply because he’s in uncharted territory [for] a guy that used to be a reliever,” Brown said. “He’s thrown a lot of innings, so maybe we can pull back on him. He’s been really good all year and really holding this rotation together when a lot of our guys were struggling, even going back to Hunter Brown struggling [in April]. ... Blanco has been a really big part of what we’re doing and has really held things together, so he may be the guy who gets a little bit of a breather.”
The Astros are approaching another long stretch without an off-day (Sept. 10-25), so Blanco could return to Houston’s rotation then.