It appears that the Houston Astros could see a boost to their starting rotation next week, with staff ace Justin Verlander nearing a return from injury. Both manager Joe Espada and general manager Dana Brown provided updates on Verlander’s status before the Astros’ game against the Texas Rangers on Sunday.
Verlander, who has been sidelined since the beginning of the season due to a shoulder problem, completed his second rehab start on Saturday with the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks. Espada mentioned to The Athletic the possibility of Verlander starting for Houston when they take on the Washington Nationals on Friday, although he had not yet spoken directly to the 41-year-old as he was traveling back from Frisco, Texas, where the Hooks played.
Brown, appearing on SportsTalk 790, expressed his hope for Verlander to rejoin the team during the upcoming road trip, beginning in Washington. However, he refrained from specifying an exact date, indicating that Verlander’s rehab starts may be coming to an end. Brown emphasized the team’s need to reintegrate Verlander into the rotation, given their current roster challenges with five starting pitchers on the injured list.
Verlander threw 77 pitches during his Saturday outing, conceding seven hits and six runs (five earned), with one walk and three strikeouts. In his previous rehab start for Triple-A Sugar Land, he pitched three-plus innings, allowing seven hits and seven runs (six earned), with one walk and six strikeouts. Verlander has been working to recover from a shoulder issue that initially delayed his spring training and put him behind schedule compared to the rest of the rotation.
