The Houston Astros aim to be one of the best teams in the league yet again, however, there is some concern regarding Justin Verlander. Many are hopeful he'll be ready to go by Opening Day. But the veteran pitcher provided an uninspiring update.
Justin Verlander tweaked his shoulder during spring training and the injury could prevent him from being ready for Opening Day. When asked about it, the Astros star didn't sound too confident that he'll be ready to go, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic.
“Asked if there's a better idea whether he'll be ready for opening day, Justin Verlander said ‘I wouldn't say there's a better idea or not. We still got some time, obviously it's tight, but things are progressing.'”
The fact his injury is progressing is good news. However, potentially not having Verlander available for Opening Day isn't ideal for the Astros. Despite that, it's a long season and the veteran pitcher will likely be fine eventually. There is a chance Houston lists him fourth or fifth in the rotation to begin the season. But it really depends how his shoulder heals between now and the start of the regular season.
Verlander has maintained high quality play throughout his career. He proved to be reliable last season after finishing with a 3.22 ERA, 144 strikeouts, and a 1.133 WHIP. The Astros will welcome that level of consistency whenever Justin Verlander is ready to go.
Despite the fact he's dealing with a shoulder injury, Astros fans shouldn't worry about it too much. Although he may not be ready to go on Opening Day, the injury doesn't seem serious enough to sideline him for an extended amount of time.
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