As unfortunate and jarring as it is to say, it is extremely difficult to map out a path to the playoff picture for the Houston Astros. The 33-40 ballclub has the experience and intangibles to overcome their sub-.500 status and seven-and-a-half-game deficit in the American League Wild Card standings, but it may not have enough bodies.
The Minute Maid medical center is not confined to Space City. Bad news follows the embattled Astros on the road, as they are being rocked with yet another injury setback.
“Justin Verlander is being placed on the 15-day IL with neck discomfort, per the Astros,” the Houston Chronicle's Matt Kawahara reported on X. “Reliever Nick Hernandez recalled from Triple-A.”
Fans had an uneasy feeling in their collective gut after the three-time AL Cy Young was scratched from Saturday's start against the Detroit Tigers, and now their fears are being realized. Another pitcher heads to the injured list, leaving the starting rotation frighteningly thin at the moment.
A 2-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox only augments the anxiety permeating this usually comfortable fandom in 2024. With the MLB trade deadline less than a month and a half away, it is becoming increasingly harder for this organization to assert itself as a seller and playoff contender. Although there is still plenty of time to turn this capsized vessel right side up, there is too much energy being expended on plugging the many holes it has incurred.
Losing Verlander, even temporarily, is a demoralizing blow for an Astros team that is desperately searching for a reprieve amid this torturous campaign.
Can Astros survive losing another important player?
The absence of Kyle Tucker is obviously being felt in the lineup, but manager Joe Espada has a few reliable hitters he can turn to in a time of crisis. There is not much more he can squeeze out of his starting pitching rotation, however.
Even though Ronel Blanco is dealing at an All-Star caliber level and Framber Valdez is still fairly solid (allowed two runs in six innings versus Chicago on Tuesday), Houston is severely lacking production and talent in its staff. Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy are both out for the rest of the season, while Father Time continues to gain ground on the 41-year-old Justin Verlander, who is only two years removed from posting a sub-2.00 ERA.
The two-time World Series champion has been riding the see-saw this year, failing to string together more than two consecutive quality starts. He surrendered four runs each to the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Angels to begin June, raising his ERA to 3.95 through 10 outings in 2024. Maybe this break is needed and will enable Verlander to return sharper than before.
But do the Astros have two weeks to wait? While a series with the worst the MLB currently has to offer should theoretically buy them some time, their latest loss shows that this depleted version of Houston is not guaranteed any lulls in the schedule. The 2017 and 2022 champs trudge ahead when they face the White Sox in Guaranteed Rate Field Wednesday night.
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