Valdez (calf) will start Friday in Oakland, Greg Rajan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

Valdez had to exit his last outing with a cramp in his left calf, but he got through his normal between-starts bullpen session Wednesday with no issues. The left-hander has posted a 2.76 ERA in 18 starts this season, and his 27.4 percent strikeout rate would be a career best.

Valdez (calf) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Greg Rajan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

If he comes out of the session without any issues, Valdez will be cleared to start Friday in Oakland. The left-hander had to make an early exit from his last outing Saturday versus the Angels due to a cramp in his left calf. Valdez registered 13 strikeouts in the start before exiting.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said in an interview on SportsTalk 790 in Houston on Tuesday that he's unsure whether Valdez (calf) will be ready for his next scheduled start Friday in Oakland.

EDGE Analysis

Valdez had to exit his last start on Saturday versus the Angels due to a left calf cramp. The decision for the left-hander to take the ball on Friday likely will be determined based on whether he can get through his normal between-starts bullpen session with no issues. Valdez tied a career high with 13 strikeouts against the Angels before the injury.

Valdez was removed from Saturday's start versus the Angels in the seventh inning with an apparent injury, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Valdez had just served up a two-run home run to Zach Neto and was removed in the middle of the at-bat against the next hitter. It's worth noting that he had already thrown 103 pitches, so hopefully the left-hander's removal was just precautionary. Valdez has dealt with an ankle injury recently, although there's no indication whether that's what was bothering him Saturday. The southpaw was magnificent versus the Halos, striking out 13 batters and inducing 23 whiffs.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said Sunday that Valdez won't be available to pitch in Tuesday's All-Star Game, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano has already been appointed to the American League roster as a replacement for Valdez, who recently overcame a sprained ankle to start in Saturday's 3-2 win. Though Valdez didn't suffer any setbacks with the ankle while covering six innings in the outing, Baker said that the Astros won't take any chances with the left-hander coming off the injury. Since he's skipping out on the Midsummer Classic, Valdez could be ready to start the Astros' first game out of the All-Star break Friday in Anaheim versus the Angels.

Valdez allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six over six innings in a no-decision versus the Mariners on Saturday.

EDGE Analysis

Valdez was hampered by a sprained ankle over the last week, but he was able to avoid the injured list and only missed one turn through the rotation. He had a full workload with 105 pitches (66 strikes) in his fourth quality start since the beginning of June. The southpaw is at a 2.51 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 116:26 K:BB through 111 innings over 17 starts this season. He'll likely take the mound in the Astros' three-game road series versus the Angels following his attendance at the All-Star Game.

Valdez (ankle) has been cleared to make his next start Saturday against the Mariners, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Though a sprained ankle prevented Valdez from making his previous turn through the rotation this past Sunday versus the Rangers, the lefty showed enough improvement to avoid a stint on the injured list. Earlier this week, manager Dusty Baker told Rome that his plan was to have Valdez start Thursday's series opener versus Seattle, but the two-time All-Star will instead get a couple extra days to rest up. With Houston opting to skip the struggling Cristian Javier's final turn through the rotation before the All-Star break, Ronel Blanco is expected to be called up from Triple-A Sugar Land to start Thursday.

Valdez (ankle) will start for the Astros on Thursday versus the Mariners, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Valdez will go more than a week in between starts after dealing with a sprained right ankle, which he originally suffered back on June 20. The veteran left-hander threw 94 pitches in his last start against the Cardinals, but it's not clear if the Astros might place any limitations on him Thursday as he comes back from injury.

Valdez won't make his scheduled start Sunday against the Rangers due to a sprained ankle, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Valdez reportedly sprained his ankle during his start against the Mets on June 20, and the issue has gotten progressively worse since then. It's still possible Valdez makes one more start before the All-Star break -- tentatively scheduled for July 7 -- but the Astros will monitor how Valdez is feeling. No replacement starter has been named yet for Sunday's game.

Valdez (7-6) took the loss Tuesday as the Astros were downed 4-2 by the Cardinals, giving up four runs on eight hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out six.

EDGE Analysis

While the southpaw was able to limit the damage to some extent, Valdez wasn't at his sharpest, uncorking three wild pitches while tossing 61 of 94 pitches for strikes. He also got taken deep by Paul DeJong in the third inning, the first homer Valdez had served up since May 15. He'll carry a 2.49 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 110:24 K:BB through 105 innings into his next outing, likely to come this weekend on the road against the Rangers.