Verlander will start season on injured list
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Astros ace Justin Verlander will begin the season on the injured list as a result of a shoulder issue that slowed his spring buildup. Team officials were optimistic Tuesday that Verlander will miss minimal time.
“He's doing very well,” manager Joe Espada said. “But we're just running out of days here, and we won't be able to build him up enough to start the season.”
Verlander has yet to face hitters this spring. The right-hander said Tuesday he did not encounter a setback and is “pleased” with his progress but that there is not enough time to ramp up to a starter's pitch count prior to opening day. The Astros open the season on March 28 against the Yankees.
“Just trying to listen to my body and not rush things because of a date on the calendar being opening day,” Verlander said. “Trying to do things the right way. Thought we were really close to being able to make it happen. But it was really on the fast end of things pace-wise to build up.”
Verlander threw a 60pitch bullpen Sunday and said his body responded
well but that he did not yet feel ready to progress to facing hitters in live batting practice.
“It's just a step that felt a couple steps away,” Verlander said. “And I wasn't going to sit here and say yes, I'm ready, if I didn't wholeheartedly believe that. I told them I probably need a couple more times off the mound, and so that kind of made the decision for us.”
Verlander said his previous bullpen was “the first time that I wasn't able to
take a step forward with intent on a day that I was supposed to.” He took extra recovery days before the 60pitch bullpen and said that session “felt phenomenal. Bounced back as good as I could have liked.”
“Ideally, yeah, I'd like to throw one more pen and be ready to face hitters, but I just don't know if that's realistic,” Verlander said.
“Hovering at 90% right now. I feel like I'm ready to bump it up. But does going from 90% to 100% take a little
longer, or is it like, all right, I'm good? I don't know. So just got to continue building up, and I think we'll know when that time is ready.”
Verlander, 41, has not detailed the shoulder “hiccup” that set him back. General manager Dana Brown described it early in camp as “some shoulder inflammation.” Verlander said Tuesday his shoulder “just didn't feel great” when he resumed throwing in the offseason.
“He's bouncing back well,” Espada said. “He needs to see live BPS. He needs to reach certain miles per hour in his sides and his BPS. And we just want to make sure that we do it smart and not fast. Because we need him for the long haul. It's a long season, and we need a healthy JV throughout the season.”
Verlander, 41, is entering the second year of a twoyear, $86.66 million deal he signed prior to the 2023 season with the Mets, who traded him to Houston last summer. The contract includes a conditional $35 million player option for 2025 that would vest if Verlander pitches 140 innings this season. The Mets would pay half of the $35 million figure if Verlander's option vests.
Verlander missed the first month of last season with a teres major strain. He made his first start May 4 and still logged 162⁄ innings over 27 regular-season starts. Verlander compiled a 3.22 ERA in the regular season and a 2.95 ERA in three playoff starts for Houston. He said last month his current shoulder issue is “very” different from the one that sidelined him last spring.
Brown watched Verlander throw Sunday and said he thought Verlander “had the same throwing actions with pretty good arm speed, so I wasn't concerned.”
“When the throwing actions are different, that's when it's like, ‘Something's bothering this guy,' ” Brown said. “I didn't see that. And he had a little zip on the ball. So I think he's going to gradually start to increase his velocity, and I think that's just going to take a little extra time.”
With Verlander unavailable, the Astros have yet to select a starter for opening day against the Yankees, Espada said. Their rotation will include Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, José Urquidy and Hunter Brown. J.P. France and Ronel Blanco are candidates to fill the spot vacated by Verlander. Both could slot in if the Astros employ a six-man rotation.
If Verlander were to miss only the first 15 days of the season, he would be eligible to rejoin the Astros in the second week of April.
“Would I like to be out there for opening day? Absolutely,” Verlander said. “Am I frustrated? Absolutely. Am I excited about the way I feel right now? Also yes. So I'm trying to see the forest through the trees here and look at the bigger picture and try to be the best pitcher I can be for the whole season, except for the first week or two.”