Ronel Blanco Optioned to Triple-A After Struggling Since IL Return

The Astros officially optioned starter Ronel Blanco to Triple-A Sugar Land after he posted a 7.71 ERA in 5 appearances since returning from the IL. Blanco has shown degraded command — missing spots within the zone rather than outside it — making his pitches easier to hit hard. His slider usage has dropped from 31.5% to 17.7% and its whiff rate fell from 42.4% to 17.9%, while his changeup usage nearly tripled to 29.2%. The move suggests the organization wants him to rediscover his slider and sharpen his command before returning.