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The Astros placed Blanco (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday.
Blanco will be shelved until the second half as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery with an internal brace. He's a candidate to be shifted to the 60-day IL if/when the Astros need to free up a spot on their 40-man roster.
Blanco (elbow) was activated from the injured list Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
This move was strictly procedural, as Blanco is recovering from Tommy John surgery with an internal brace. He is expected to miss most of the 2026 season.
Astros' Ronel Blanco: Has internal brace procedure
Rotowire
Blanco's (elbow) Tommy John procedure included an internal brace and a repair of the flexor tendon in his forearm, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported Friday.
Blanco underwent the surgery Friday, and the procedure included some fixes to the flexor tendon. Blanco isn't expected back until deep into the 2026 season.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Surgery scheduled for Friday
Rotowire
Blanco (elbow) is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery Friday, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
It was announced last week that Blanco needed the operation to repair a torn UCL in his right elbow and now the surgery is officially on the calendar. He will be out at least until the second half of the 2026 season.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Moves to 60-day IL
Rotowire
The Astros transferred Blanco (elbow) to the 60-day IL on Sunday.
The transaction is merely procedural, as Blanco is scheduled to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery in the near future. With the right-hander coming off the 40-man roster, the Astros were able to open up a spot for outfielder Jacob Melton, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Sugar Land.
Astros' Ronel Blanco: To have season-ending surgery
Rotowire
Blanco (elbow) will undergo surgery next week and will be sidelined for the rest of the 2025 season, the Astros announced Wednesday.
Blanco reported soreness in his throwing elbow on May 19 and hit the injured list May 22 with elbow inflammation. Houston sought out a second opinion on the 31-year-old's injury, which yielded severe enough results to require season-ending surgery. It's unclear if he will have traditional Tommy John surgery or a hybrid internal brace procedure. Colton Gordon should fill Blanco's spot in the rotation until Luis Garcia (elbow) or Spencer Arrighetti (thumb) are reinstated from the IL, which isn't expected to happen until late June or July. Blanco finishes 2025 with a 3-4 record, a 4.10 ERA and 48:20 K:BB in 48.1 innings spanning nine starts.
Astros' Ronel Blanco: Undergoing Tommy John surgery
Rotowire
Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that Blanco (elbow) will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
The team announced that Blanco would be undergoing season-ending elbow surgery Wednesday but didn't supply the specifics regarding the procedure. It's now known that Blanco will require Tommy John surgery, which will likely force him to miss a significant portion of the 2026 campaign. Colton Gordon should hold down Blanco's spot in the rotation until the Astros get Luis Garcia (elbow) or Spencer Arrighetti (thumb) back from the injured list.
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Astros' Ronel Blanco: Lands on IL, seeking second opinion
Rotowire
The Astros placed Blanco on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to right elbow inflammation, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Blanco's first examination Wednesday revealed inflammation in his elbow, which was all the Astros needed to hear to put him on the shelf for at least the next 15 days. It's still unknown exactly how much time the 31-year-old will miss, but his upcoming meeting with a second doctor should help the team determine the next steps in Blanco's recovery.
Blanco has been sent back to Houston to be evaluated after reporting right elbow soreness Monday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Blanco had been scheduled to start this weekend against the Mariners, but his status is now up in the air as he gets examined by doctors Wednesday. An update on the right-hander's condition should be available later this week.
