Framber Valdez and César Salazar were involved in a miscommunication that sparked questions about intent after a 1-0 sinker hit Salazar and followed Valdez’s fifth-inning grand slam allowed by Trent Grisham. Valdez insisted it wasn’t intentional, a defense echoed by his agent as Valdez eyes a lucrative free-agent winter. Astros manager Joe Espada and GM Dana Brown said the matter is behind them as Houston looks to keep pitching stability intact.

The episode has fantasy implications: Valdez’s reliability remains his calling card, but the surrounding chatter could influence how owners value him in free agency and in weeks 1 of next season. Salazar and Valdez spoke privately, and the team plans to move on, narrowing focus back to performance on the mound.