Astros' Joe Espada Reacts to Being Publicly Called Out by Framber Valdez

Astros' Joe Espada Reacts to Being Publicly Called Out by Framber Valdez originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Left-handed starting pitcher Framber Valdez is in his eighth season with the Houston Astros, having made his big-league debut in 2018.

Valdez has had an impressive tenure with Houston, collecting two All-Star appearances and three top-10 finishes in Cy Young Award voting. He also won his first World Series title in 2022 following a dominant stretch where he went 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA and 33 strikeouts across four postseason appearances.

During his start yesterday against the Washington Nationals, in the sixth inning of the game, the Astros positioned their outfielders in anticipation of a fly ball from left-handed hitting Nathaniel Lowe. With the tying run standing on first base in the form of Josh Bell and a 1-0 lead to protect, Houston was trying to prevent any fly ball from getting over their defenders’ heads to avoid a potential double.

Instead, Lowe bounced a full-count breaking ball into an unoccupied part of right field, resulting in a game-tying double. The Nationals added another run in the seventh inning and went on to win 2-1.

“It was a little bit uncomfortable to be honest,” Valdez said via Chandler Rome postgame. “It doesn’t make sense that was a double. It doesn’t make sense that the right fielder was playing in center field with a lefty that was hitting.”

Before Tuesday’s matchup with Washington, manager Joe Espada responded to Valdez’s comments: “I wish he would have come to me first, but that's his emotion. That's what makes Framber the person I care for and I love. He is passionate. I will have that conversation with him today.”

Regarding Framber Valdez's postgame comments, manager Joe Espada told @SportsTalk790 that "I wish he would have come to me first, but that's his emotion. That's what makes Framber the person I care for and I love. He is passionate. I will have that conversation with him today."

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 29, 2025

The 31-year-old ace has been a steady force in Houston’s rotation this season, helping keep the staff competitive despite a wave of injuries.

In 21 starts, Valdez has posted an 11-4 record, a 2.62 ERA, and 141 strikeouts.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.