Houston Astros right-handed pitcher Justin Verlander hasn't been himself this season. The future Hall-of-Famer is 3-2 with a 3.95 ERA this year in his second season back in Houston, with a 7.20 mark in June.
Verlander will miss Saturday's start against the Detroit Tigers due to “neck discomfort,” via The Houston Chronicle's Matt Young. The 41-year-old's ailment was announced about four hours before the first pitch. Rookie hurler Spencer Arrighetti will start in his place.
After starting hot in April, Verlander hasn't been able to find his vintage form. The former Tiger has a 3.25 ERA through 19 seasons in the big leagues, usually finding himself amongst the top pitchers in the game annually. However, he's been far from that this season, and it's fair to wonder if his star is finally fading.
Is this the beginning of the end for Verlander?
Verlander may be slowing down, but he has plenty left to give to the Astros
Although Saturday's announcement was a surprise, this has been a nagging injury for Verlander, via The Ahletic's Chandler Rome.
“Justin Verlander’s been dealing with neck soreness for the past two or three weeks, [Astros manager] Joe Espada said,” Rome tweeted. “He tried to pitch through it. Verlander cut his bullpen short this week between starts. The Astros don’t think it’s an IL situation, Espada said, but Verlander is getting examined.”
At his age, Verlander may take longer to heal than he would've in his prime. It may be wise for him to play it carefully over the coming weeks, to avoid a more serious flare-up. With Houston currently 32-38, the club can't afford another long-term injury to one of its top pitchers. The team already lost Cristian Javier to Tommy John surgery, and Jose Urquidy is still in injury limbo as well.
One of the reasons for the club's uncharacteristic struggles has been its pitching. The Astros rank just 20th in the league with a 4.13 ERA. Ronel Blanco, who has a 2.67 mark, is the only starter having an exceptional year.
A long-term injury to Verlander would force the club to either promote a reliever or bring someone up from the minors. Luckily for Houston, its bullpen has a couple of good spot-starter candidates. Right-hander Seth Martinez has a 2.23 ERA through 36.1 innings, and fellow right-hander Tayler Scott has a 1.60 ERA across 33.2 innings.
While Verlander's latest injury is a significant bump in the road, fans shouldn't write him off just yet. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound veteran is coming off a solid 2023 campaign, in which he performed well for both the New York Mets and the Astros after getting traded midseason. He was 6-5 with a 3.15 ERA for New York, and 7-3 with a 3.31 ERA for Houston.
The nine-time All-Star also had a 2.95 ERA across 18.1 playoff innings last season, one of his better postseason performances ever. Verlander's taken criticism in the past for choking in October, so for him to improve when it matters most in the twilight of his career speaks to his work ethic and dedication.
Astros fans may feel like the sky is falling, but Verlander being washed up shouldn't be at the top of their worry list.
Follow Us
Subscribe