Valdez (11-7) took the loss Wednesday against the Tigers, allowing seven runs on seven hits and four walks across five innings. He struck out two.
Valdez got off to a dreadful start Wednesday, allowing the first six batters to reach safely in an eventual six-run inning. While the left-hander settled down and held Detroit to one run over his final four frames, the Astros couldn't overcome the early deficit in a 7-2 defeat. Valdez has struggled of late, posting a 7.33 ERA in his last four outings (23.1 innings). Overall, his ERA sits at 3.32 with a 1.21 WHIP and 153:54 K:BB over 25 starts (157.1 innings) this season. Valdez will look to right the ship in his next outing, currently scheduled for next week at home against the Rockies.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Takes loss despite quality start
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Valdez (11-6) took the loss against the Orioles on Friday, allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits and one walk while striking out six over 6.2 innings.
The left-hander worked around traffic early but was tagged in the fourth when Coby Mayo launched a solo homer to open the scoring, giving Baltimore a lead Houston would never cut into. Valdez has now yielded at least seven hits in five of his last seven outings as he struggles to limit hard contact. The outing also raised his ERA above 3.00 for the first time since June 24, though he continues to provide Houston with length, completing at least six innings in 19 of his 24 starts this year. Overall, the 31-year-old southpaw owns a 3.01 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 151:50 K:BB through 152.1 innings and will look to get back on track in his next scheduled start against the Tigers.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Escapes with no-decision
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Valdez came away with a no-decision in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Yankees, giving up four runs on eight hits and four walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out one.
The southpaw wasn't fooling anyone Saturday, managing just five swinging strikes among his 91 pitches (52 total strikes), and Valdez left the mound in line for his sixth loss of the season until the Yankees' bullpen blew another save chance. It was the first time he'd failed to complete six innings since June 12, and Valdez has produced back-to-back shaky outings for the first time all year, getting tagged for 10 runs (nine earned) with a 4:5 K:BB over 11.2 innings. He'll look to get back on track in his next start, which is scheduled to come at home next weekend against the Orioles.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Falls to Boston
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Valdez (11-5) took the loss Sunday against the Red Sox, allowing six runs (four earned) on seven hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out three.
Valdez managed to hold Boston scoreless through his first three innings before things unraveled in the fourth, when the left-hander gave up six runs on four hits, a walk, a wild pitch and a balk. Valdez had held opponents to two runs or fewer in 10 of his last 11 outings prior to Sunday, posting a stellar 1.77 ERA in that span. His ERA still sits at an excellent 2.76 with a 1.12 WHIP and 144:45 K:BB across 22 starts (144 innings) this season. Valdez is currently scheduled to face the Yankees on the road his next time out.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Earns 11th win
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Valdez (11-4) allowed one run on seven hits and one walk while striking out four over seven innings to earn the win Tuesday over the Diamondbacks.
Valdez allowed the lone run on a groundout in the fifth inning. He looked in line for a hard-luck loss until Brice Matthews' two-run home run in the eighth, which put the Astros ahead for good. This was the sixth straight start of at least six innings for Valdez, who has given up just six runs (five earned) over 38 frames in that span. He's also won 10 of his last 13 outings after beginning the year 1-4 over seven starts. For the season, the southpaw has a 2.67 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 129:42 K:BB across 128 innings. He's lined up for a favorable home start versus the Athletics this weekend.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Dazzles in no-decision
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Valdez allowed an unearned run on four hits and struck out 10 without walking a batter over six innings in a no-decision versus the Rangers on Saturday.
Valdez's own wild pitch allowed Sam Haggerty to score in the first inning, but that was the southpaw's lone mistake. It wouldn't be the only blunder for his team, however, as closer Josh Hader blew his first save of the year, denying Valdez the win. Valdez has racked up all three of his double-digit strikeout performances over his last seven starts, a span in which he's given up a total of 11 runs (10 earned) over 43 innings. For the season, he's at a 2.75 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 125:41 K:BB through 121 innings across 19 starts.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Recovers from slow start to earn win
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Valdez (10-4) notched the victory against the Dodgers on Saturday, surrendering four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over six innings.
Valdez served up a solo homer to Mookie Betts in the first inning and was tagged for another run in the second. Houston scored the game's next five runs, however, and Valdez protected a lead despite giving up a two-run blast to Miguel Rojas in the fourth frame. This was the first time the southpaw has given up four runs in a start since May 2, but he nonetheless improved his record to 8-0 over his past 10 games. With 10 victories on the campaign, Valdez is tied for the MLB lead with Tarik Skubal and Max Fried.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Blanks Cubs for ninth win
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Valdez (9-4) picked up the win Sunday against the Cubs, allowing five hits and two walks with six strikeouts over six scoreless innings.
Valdez posted a second straight scoreless start, and he's now gone 13 consecutive innings without allowing a run. His ERA is down to 2.72 on the year, which would be his best since 2018. In his last seven starts, Valdez is 6-0 with a 1.57 ERA and a 49:20 K:BB across 46 innings. His next start is tentatively scheduled to come against the Dodgers next weekend.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Throws seven scoreless
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Valdez didn't factor into the decision in Tuesday's 1-0 win over Philadelphia, allowing four hits and four walks while striking out three over seven scoreless innings.
Valdez delivered his first scoreless outing since April 8, blanking the Phillies despite struggling with his control. The 31-year-old lefty has now walked at least four batters and struck out three in two consecutive starts. In his last four starts, Valdez has a 2.16 ERA and a 29:13 K:BB across 25 innings. He's tentatively scheduled to face the Cubs on Sunday in his next turn through the rotation.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Gets ample run support in victory
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Valdez (8-4) earned the win over the Athletics on Wednesday, allowing two runs on five hits and five walks while striking out three batters over six innings.
Valdez didn't have his best stuff Wednesday -- he issued a season-high five walks and notched just three strikeouts -- but he admirably managed to mostly work out of trouble to register a quality start. The southpaw trailed 1-0 after two innings, though Houston's offense kicked into gear after that, helping Valdez cruise to a relatively comfortable win. The 31-year-old held a 1-4 record through seven starts this season, but since then he's collected seven victories in eight outings, posting a 2.13 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 62:18 K:BB over 55 frames during the latter span. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start, which is projected to be a home tilt against the Phillies.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Another dominant performance
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Valdez (7-4) recorded the win Thursday against the White Sox after giving up two runs on seven hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out 12.
After fanning what was 11 in his last start, Valdez one-upped himself Thursday by setting another season high in strikeouts. The star left-hander produced a whopping 20 whiffs, and he also worked at least five innings while surrendering two runs or fewer for the 10th time in 14 outings during 2025. Valdez sports a reliable 3.10 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 96:28 K:BB over 90 innings, and his next start is slated for next week against an Athletics club that's slugging a dismal .291 versus lefties since May 14.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Logs quality start in win
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Valdez (4-4) earned the win against the Mariners on Saturday, allowing one run on four hits and four walks with five strikeouts over six innings.
Valdez battled through command issues, tying a season high with four walks while generating just seven whiffs on 101 pitches. Despite the lack of swing-and-miss stuff, the southpaw extended his streak to four straight quality starts and has allowed three earned runs or fewer in eight of 11 outings this season. He'll carry a 3.39 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 64:23 K:BB across 69 innings into a home matchup with the Rays next weekend.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Strikes out eight in win
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Valdez (3-4) earned the win against the Rangers on Sunday, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk with eight strikeouts over seven innings.
Valdez allowed three runs in the fourth inning but worked six scoreless frames otherwise. The southpaw generated 12 whiffs on 98 pitches and has now completed at least seven innings in three straight outings. On the season, he owns a 3.57 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 59:19 K:BB across 63 innings and lines up for a home matchup with the Mariners next weekend.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Sharp in second win
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Valdez (2-4) picked up the win in Wednesday's 9-1 victory over the Brewers, allowing one run on three hits and two walks over seven innings. He struck out seven.
The southpaw delivered his fifth quality start of the season on 101 pitches (59 strikes), with only a solo shot by Eric Haase in the fifth inning marring his line. Valdez generated 33 called or swinging strikes as he snapped a four-decision losing streak, and he'll take a 3.94 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 44:17 K:BB through 48 innings into his next outing, which lines up to come at home early next week against the Royals.
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Astros' Framber Valdez: Goes distance in loss
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Valdez (1-3) tossed a complete game in Saturday's loss to the Royals, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out five over eight innings.
Valdez allowed a sacrifice fly for the opening run in the first inning and also gave up a solo home run to Vinnie Pasquantino in the fifth. This was Valdez's fourth quality start in six outings this season. He's also allowed just three homers while maintaining a 4.00 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 31:13 K:BB across 36 innings. He's lined up for a favorable matchup in his next outing, which is projected to be on the road versus the White Sox.
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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.
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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.
