Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez didn't get any run support on Saturday night in Kansas City, but he still went the distance in a complete game for the Astros, in a 2-0 loss. He allowed two runs on three hits in eight innings with five strikeouts and a pair of walks, but was outdueled by Michael Wacha and the Royals. Kansas City scored a run in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Mark Canha, and Vinnie Pasquantino added an insurance run with a solo home run in the fifth inning. The defeat drops Valdez to 1-3 on the year, but he lowered his ERA to 4.00 and his FIP to 3.65. He had gone at least six innings in four of his six starts this season, but this was the first time he reached the eighth inning. He'll hope to get more run support in his next outing, which is currently lined up for next Friday in a more favorable road matchup against the White Sox in Chicago

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez turned in his second disappointing start of the season in Monday's 8-3 loss to the Cardinals. Valdez pitched four innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits and a walk with three strikeouts. The 31-year-old has been uncharacteristically inconsistent in his first four starts of the season, allowing no combined runs in two of them and 11 combined earned runs in his other two. Overall, he is now 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA, a 9.82 K/9 rate, and a 3.27 BB/9 rate in 22 IP. Valdez's next matchup will be a tough one against the Padres. While fantasy managers may have drafted Valdez as high as their rotation ace, they may consider sitting him if they have other options, at least in roto leagues.

Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez (illness) will make his scheduled start on Tuesday at T-Mobile Park against the division-rival Seattle Mariners. It was unclear over the weekend whether Valdez would be able to make his start this week while he was dealing with fatigue and a sore throat, but the 31-year-old veteran southpaw will toe the rubber and should be started in single-year fantasy leagues. Valdez looked great on Opening Day on March 27 against the New York Mets, tossing seven scoreless innings in a win with two walks and four strikeouts. However, he gave up five earned runs while walking four and striking out nine in five innings for a loss against the San Francisco Giants his last time out on April 2. Fantasy managers will be hoping for an outing more along the lines of his season debut now that he's apparently feeling better.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (illness) might not be available for his next turn in the rotation, which is on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners. Astros manager Joe Espada said the team is listing their starters for Tuesday and Wednesday as TBA for now. General manager Dana Brown said Valdez is dealing with some fatigue and a sore throat. It sounds like the Astros are going to wait and see how Valdez feels in a day or two before making a final decision on his status. Hunter Brown is scheduled to take the mound on Wednesday, but he could see his start pushed back depending on what happens with Valdez. Fantasy managers will need to check back for another update in a day or so.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez was dominant on Thursday, tossing seven shutout frames while striking out four. There was never any real danger for the ace, as he scattered four hits and two walks throughout the game. He is coming off of a 2024 season where he posted a 2.91 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 169 strikeouts in 176 innings. He may not give you the strikeout upside of some other aces, but his reputation as a workhorse pitcher is becoming a rare occurrence in today's game. He is a true innings-eater who will provide great ratios as a matchup-proof option for fantasy.

Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez has been named the team's Opening Day starter on March 27 against the New York Mets, according to manager Joe Espada. Because Valdez doesn't have the high-end strikeout upside that other aces do, he's merely a low-end fantasy ace/high-end No. 2 option, and the 31-year-old Dominican southpaw will have a tough task on his hands in his first start of 2025. He makes up for his lack of strikeouts with an elite ability to induce weak contact, mainly in the form of ground balls. The two-time All-Star and former World Series champion went 15-7 in 2024 with a sharp 2.91 ERA (3.25 FIP) and a 1.11 WHIP with 169 strikeouts and 55 walks in 176 1/3 innings over his 28 regular-season starts. The veteran southpaw has also looked good this spring with a 2.53 ERA in his 10 2/3 innings, but Valdez only has one season of 200-plus K's.

Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez said the team has not approached him or his agent yet about a contract extension, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome. Rome adds that it would probably be unwise for Valdez to consider signing any extension the Astros might offer him during spring training. The 31-year-old southpaw is in his final year of club control in 2025 and is scheduled to make $18 million this year. If he hits the open market next winter, which appears likely right now, Valdez should have no shortage of offers from other organizations after serving as Houston's ace the last three years. The Dominican hurler was an All-Star in 2022 and 2023 and had a 2.91 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 169:55 K:BB in 28 starts in 2024. There's a lot to like about Valdez, but his lower strikeout rate for an ace makes him more of a low-end No. 1 fantasy starter/high-end No. 2 than a high-end fantasy ace.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Houston Astros and starting pitcher Framber Valdez have agreed to a one-year contract worth $18 million to avoid arbitration. The southpaw is expected to be among the top free agents following the 2025 season. Last summer, the 31-year-old posted a 2.91 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP across 176 1/3 innings of work. Valdez has made at least 28 starts over the past three seasons and logged at least 175 innings in each campaign. Last summer, Valdez generated a stellar 61.7% ground-ball rate, which placed him in the 99th percentile among qualified pitchers. He also limited hard contact with an excellent 5.3% barrel rate. Despite his modest strikeout production, Valdez remains one of the safest pitchers in fantasy baseball, given his ability to log a high total of innings each year and produce strong ratios.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez had another strong outing in Friday's 8-0 victory over the Diamondbacks, tossing seven shutout innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out seven on the way to picking up his 14th win of the season. The southpaw had a 1.59 ERA, 0.65 WHIP, and a 24.0% K-BB% over five starts in August and looks to have carried that momentum right on into September with his 15th quality start of the year. The 30-year-old now has a 2.97 ERA (3.21 FIP), 1.09 WHIP, and a 16.5% K-BB% in 2024. The 2x All-Star gets a favorable matchup his next time out when he faces the Athletics at home next Thursday.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez threw seven innings of a no-hit baseball in Friday's 3-2 victory over the Royals, allowing three walks and a hit batsman while striking out seven, but did not factor into the decision. The lefty was at 98 pitches so he would have gone well over his season-high pitch count had Joe Espada allowed him to stay in the game for the final two innings. Valdez has been great in August, even coming within one out away from a no-hitter earlier this month, posting a 1.59 ERA, 0.65 WHIP, and a 24.0% K-BB% over five starts. The 30-year-old has been good overall as well, logging a 13-6 record with a 3.11 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 16.6% K-BB%. His next start will come next weekend at home against the Diamondbacks.

Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez turned in a dominant outing Sunday in the team's 2-0 win over the Chicago White Sox. The left-hander shut out Chicago over seven innings with three hits and nine strikeouts to win his eighth straight decision. Valdez has been red hot and has lowered his ERA to 3.20 on the season with a 1.14 WHIP and a 13-5 record. The 30-year-old is dialed in lately and continues to be an excellent fantasy option.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez improved to 12-5 in Monday's 6-1 win over the Rays. Valdez pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits and a walk with nine strikeouts. The 30-year-old now owns a 3.38 ERA, an 8.40 K/9 rate, and a 2.89 BB/9 rate in 21 starts and 130 2/3 IP. His strikeout game has played up lately in particular, as he has totaled nine or more in four of his last six starts. Valdez has been a higher-end fantasy option throughout his career without particularly overpowering stuff, so the recent strikeout spike is an added bonus for fantasy managers. He should have a good chance to continue this spike in his next start against the White Sox.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez nearly made history in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Rangers. Valdez pitched 8 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on one hit (a home run) and three walks with five strikeouts. Valdez was one out away from his second career no-hitter, but he was pulled after allowing a two-run homer to Corey Seager. The 30-year-old has been a bit inconsistent at times this season but has overall been a higher-end fantasy option once again, going 11-5 with a 3.46 ERA, an 8.14 K/9 rate, and a 2.95 BB/9 rate in 20 starts and 125 IP. His next start will be a decent matchup at a mediocre Rays lineup.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez collected 10 strikeouts through six solid innings of work during Wednesday night's outing against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates at Minute Maid Park. It was a second consecutive showing with 10 punchouts for Valdez, who nabbed his 10th win of the year after yielding four runs on six hits and no walks against Pittsburgh on Wednesday. The 30-year-old star left-hander will bring a 2.90 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 40 K's and nine free passes over his last five appearances (31 frames) into his next scheduled showing on the road at Globe Life Field in Arlington next Wednesday for a pivotal Lone Star Series clash with the defending-champion Texas Rangers.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez shut down the Dodgers on Friday evening as he tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings. He allowed just four hits and two free passes. He struck out 10. The 30-year-old has enjoyed a nice turnaround across his last three outings, as he has carried a 1.42 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and a 7:26 BB:K after he posted a much higher 4.55 ERA and 1.66 WHIP through most of June. Through 110 innings this season, Valdez has held a 3.43 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and a 38:98 BB:K. He should remain started in all leagues and will be a popular DFS play in his next start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, July 31.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez tallied another quality start with 10 strikeouts in Wednesday's superb start against the visiting Miami Marlins, helping the team win their eighth straight game at home. Wednesday's effort marked Valdez's 10th quality start of the year, and it also signified his eighth win of the season. After tossing six innings of one-run ball on six hits and one walk against the Marlins, the reliable 30-year-old southpaw has a 3.66 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 82:32 K:BB over 98 1/3 innings (16 starts) for the Astros in 2024. Valdez is as dependable as any hurler on a start-to-start basis for both Houston and fantasy managers.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez was solid on the mound during Sunday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. The southpaw allowed one run on six hits over seven innings of work in the win. Valdez struck out seven batters while walking two hitters on the day. This wasn't an easy task for Valdez, but he turned out another strong outing. He has posted back-to-back quality outings after getting hit around by the Giants earlier this month. He'll take a 3.68 ERA into this next start against the New York Mets.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (3-2) had a night to forget Monday, allowing eight runs on 10 hits while recording just three strikeouts with one walk in a 9-7 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Every starting pitcher, even the best ones, is due for a dud start now and then. The part that stings the most was that Valdez was cruising into the fifth inning with a five-run lead before the home run barrage began. The former all-star lefty allowed a three-run home run to Nolan Schanuel. Then, a few batters later, back-to-back home runs, surrendering a three-run homer by Logan O'Hoppe followed by a solo shot from Jo Adell. It's important to note that Valdez strayed away from the game plan, which was confirmed in his post-game interview: "Yainer (Diaz) did a really good job calling pitches. I was the one that decided to try and change the game plan. I had to deal with the consequences," Valdez said. Valdez should have stuck to the game plan, as going rogue skyrocketed his ERA over a whole run from a 2.95 ERA to a 4.32 ERA. Despite the ugly outing, Valdez belongs in all fantasy lineups moving forward, especially when the Astros take on the Oakland A's for his next start.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez dominated in Wednesday's victory over the division-rival Oakland Athletics, tossing seven two-hit innings of scoreless ball on two walks with eight punchouts. Staked to an early-two run lead, Valdez cruised past Oakland on Wednesday for his second straight quality start and third win of the campaign. The 30-year-old fantasy mainstay now sports a rock-solid 2.95 ERA and 1.20 WHIP while fanning 31 and walking 11 over six starts (36 2/3 innings) for Houston this year. Valdez is slated to get the ball next during Monday's series opener against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. In three appearances versus the Angels since 2023, Valdez is 2-0 with a 2.53 ERA and a sublime 32:3 K:BB across 21 1/3 frames and will be locked-in fantasy starter.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez notched four strikeouts in seven innings and picked up the win in Houston's 5-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night. Valdez has now picked up two wins in three starts since coming back from elbow inflammation in his left elbow. The lefty needed to come back strong after a disappointing outing vs Seattle, where he gave up five earned runs, and he did so in a big way by helping the Astros win back-to-back games. Valdez will make his next scheduled start on Wednesday against the Oakland A's as he will look to improve to 3-1 on the season.