Framber Valdez Injury Update: Health status and expected recovery period for Astros ace

The Houston Astros are skipping Framber Valdez's scheduled start Sunday. The crafty lefty is recovering from a right ankle injury that occurred June 20 against the New York Mets.

Houston hoped Valdez would be ready to go by Sunday, but his ankle has progressively worsened. The team says it was a problem for him during his last outing Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Houston hopes to have Framber Valdez get one more start before the All-Star weekend. It will have until July 9 to make that happen as All-Star celebrations begin.

The last thing the Astros want to do is rush Valdez back. He is the team's ace and has been great this season. Valdez has a 7-6 record on the year, with a 2.49 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP and 110 strikeouts.

Valdez has turned into a workhorse for Houston in the past few seasons. You can almost guarantee a quality start from him whenever he's asked to take the hill.

Framber Valdez has been a big part of the Houston Astros' success

The Houston Astros have been hit hard by injuries this season. They were counting on Lance Mccullers Jr. to be the star in the rotation, but he has been on the IL all season. Then, the team lost Luis Garcia for the season as he had Tommy John surgery.

Framber Valdez has stepped up and taken control of this rotation. The Astros are second in the American League West with a record of 45-37. They are four games behind the Texas Rangers, who they finish the series with over the weekend.

Houston's decision to rest Valdez is a smart one. It will need him in the rotation during the second half of the season if it wants to fight for the division.