Valdez takes ‘step forward’

Injured Astros lefthander Framber Valdez resumed throwing on flat ground this week in what general manager James Click called a “tremendous step forward” on his journey back from a fractured left ring finger.

Valdez had not thrown since March 2, when he tried to field a Francisco Lindor ground ball with his pitching hand during a Grapefruit League game. A second opinion on the appendage determined no surgery was needed, leaving open the possibility Valdez could return this season.

When he may remains muddled. Click said Thursday the club is “not at the timetable stage of things” because of the tenuous nature of Valdez’s injury. The team is re-evaluating Valdez’s finger after each throwing session to ensure it is healing properly, Click said. When Valdez moves past that stage, Click surmised there could be a more concrete plan for his return.

“The fact he’s able to start strengthening his arm and start stretching himself out a little bit puts him on the right track,” Click said.

Valdez’s return would offer sorely needed depth on an Astros pitching staff trying to absorb the innings jump that arrives after a 60-game season. The 27-year-old Dominican flourished into a durable workhorse in 2020, garnering American League Cy Young votes after posting a 3.57 ERA in 702⁄3 innings.

Valdez has one of the most durable arms in the organization. The Astros envisioned his carrying a full season’s workload into the 162-game season in 2021. Now, any innings they could squeeze out of him are precious.