“I have seen this movie too many times” – Astros fans crushed as Framber Valdez scratched from Monday’s start with elbow soreness

The Houston Astros have opted to scratch World Series champion Framber Valdez from his Monday night start after the veteran experienced soreness in his elbow. Although the Houston Astros front office remains optimistic about the injury, the growing number of severe injuries across the MLB has a number of fans concerned.

"I CAN’T DO THIS ANYMORE" - One fan said

Framber Valdez is one of the few remaining healthy starting pitchers for the Houston Astros, and now it looks like there is a chance that they could be without him for the foreseeable future.

"Hmmm, I have seen this movie too many times. McCullers, JV, Garcia...." - One fan said of the injury

"Oh boy another one bites the dust" - Another fan added

This is the feeling among Houston Astros fans who have already seen a number of their top pitchers hit the injured list with a variety of injuries. Lance McCullers Jr., Jose Urquidy, and Justin Verlander are some of the key Astros pitchers who are currently sidelined.

"We lost another one" - One fan chimed in

Although the 30-year-old Framber Valdez is not exactly known as one of the hardest throwers in the MLB, he joins a growing list of injured superstar pitchers. Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians, Eury Perez of the Miami Marlins, and Spencer Strider of the Atlanta Braves are all pitchers who have gone down with various elbow injuries this month.

"This is getting out of control. Something is clearly wrong." - One other fan said

Framber Valdez's injury will only continue the debate about the MLB pitch clock rules

There is an ongoing debate on whether or not the MLB's implementation of the pitching clock has been the leading cause of pitcher injuries like Valdez's. Some fans are pointing to the fact not only did the MLB create the pitch clock rule, but they even reduced the time this season.

"Are we serious right now???? I know the problem isn’t going to solve itself overnight but we need to react quickly to this @MLB. It’s not going to go away by itself" - Another fan stated

There is a large number of fans who believe that the clock has led to the injuries of players such as Framber Valdez and Spencer Strider. Even if there is a connection between the clock and the injuries, it will take several years for any concrete evidence to prove it or not.