A method includes detecting a power-up event associated with a memory sub-system comprising a plurality of blocks of memory cells having blocks of memory cells associated therewith, responsive to detecting the power-up event and prior to receipt of signaling indicative of a host initiation sequence, determining that a block of memory cells associated with a respective block among the plurality of blocks of memory cells is an open virtual block of memory cells, determining that the respective block associated with the open virtual block of memory cells exhibits greater than a threshold health characteristic value, and selectively performing a media management operation of a respective block of memory cells associated with the open virtual block of memory cells in response to the determination that the respective block exhibits greater than the threshold health characteristic value.