Verlander to make second rehab start

HOUSTON — Houston ace Justin Verlander is scheduled to make his second and likely final rehabilitation start for Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday night.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner opened the season on the injured list with inflammation in his right shoulder.

He allowed six earned runs and struck out six pitching into the fourth inning of his first rehabilitation start Sunday for Triple-A Sugar Land.

After Verlander threw 65 pitches in that start, Houston manager Joe Espada said the team expects the 41-year-old to throw 75-80 pitches on Saturday.

“Looking for him to feel well the next day and hopefully get him back out pitching for us here pretty soon,” Espada said Friday.

Espada has previously said that the Astros don’t expect that Verlander will need more than two minor league starts before making his season debut for the Astros.

Verlander will pitch in Frisco, Texas, against the RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. He’ll face Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, who is scheduled to continue his rehabilitation assignment for Frisco.

In Lowe’s last appearance against Verlander, he hit a solo home run in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series.

TJ SURGERY FOR BARD

Colorado right-hander Daniel Bard needs surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right elbow and will not pitch again this season, Rockies manager Bud Black said Friday.

Bard is in the final season of a $19 million, two-year deal. He has not pitched in 2024 after surgery in February to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

“We were hoping for the bounce back,” Black said of Bard before the Rockies played the Blue Jays. “He was one of the top closers in ‘22 and even ‘21. He pitched really, really well. We looked forward to having Daniel be a big part of our bullpen but now it’s not going to happen.”

Black said Bard was bothered by elbow soreness last season, when he went 4-2 with a 4.56 ERA and one save in 50 games.