When is Framber Valdez Coming Back? Fantasy Baseball Injury Return Update

Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez has turned into one of the best pitchers in the game after finishing top 10 in the American League Cy Young voting in back-to-back years. Last season, Valdez finished with a 3.45 ERA and 200 strikeouts across 31 starts. 

Valdez was looking to replicate that success in 2024, and that was on display in his most recent start on April 2. The left-hander threw 7.2 shutout innings against the New York Yankees to go with five strikeouts. However, he would miss his next start due to elbow soreness. 

So, how serious is Valdez's elbow injury? When is he coming back? Let's dive in and find out. 

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Framber Valdez Injury Update for Fantasy Baseball

Everything appeared to be fine with Valdez, who was set to face the Texas Rangers on Monday, April 8. But, hours before first pitch, the southpaw was scratched from his start due to elbow soreness.

Valdez felt some elbow pain while playing catch on Sunday, and that pain continued into Monday. The Astros decided to send the left-hander back to Houston to get evaluated, where he met with doctors. The southpaw was then placed on the 15-day injured list with left elbow soreness. 

LHP Framber Valdez was scratched from tonight's start due to left elbow soreness.

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) April 8, 2024

Any time a pitcher deals with an elbow injury, it's not great news. The Astros, though, remain optimistic that Valdez won't miss too much time. General manager Dana Brown also echoed that when speaking to reporters, saying, "He's going to be fine and will miss a couple starts."

Framber Valdez Fantasy Baseball Outlook

The optimism around Valdez's injury is that he will only miss a couple of starts. Of course, until he starts throwing, though, there is always concern with an elbow injury. The Astros are calling the southpaw's injury as left elbow inflammation, and he will be shut down from throwing for a couple of days. 

However, it appears there isn't any significant damage to his elbow, so that's great news for his fantasy value in the future. For the time being, he can kept in one of your IL slots as we wait for a potential return date. He is not eligible to come off the IL until the end of April, but he could miss more than that.  

Astros Cautiously Optimistic About Framber Valdez https://t.co/qXVLXZsSYb

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) April 9, 2024

Valdez is also a nice buy-low option for any fantasy manager who needs pitching. He won't have much use over the next couple of weeks. However, he'll be a reliable starting pitcher option when he does return. So, buy his low value now while he rehabs from his elbow injury. 

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