Getty Justin Verlander
It’s been a tough year for Justin Verlander. After starting the season on the injured list due to right shoulder inflammation, the Houston Astros‘ ace made just 10 starts before landing back on the IL with neck discomfort on June 18 (retroactive to June 16). Now, despite being eligible to be reactivated on July 1, it seems Verlander’s time on the bench will be extended.
On June 25, The Athletic’s Chandler Rome reported that Astros manager Joe Espada had provided an update on Verlander’s recovery, and it wasn’t a positive one.
“… Justin Verlander is progressing slower than the team anticipated,” Rome posted on X. “He is still not throwing. Asked if this is a shoulder, arm or elbow problem, Espada reiterated is it just soreness in Verlander’s neck.”
Rome provided another update from Espada on June 26, confirming that Verlander “will not accompany the team to New York.” The Astros are slated to play the New York Mets in a three-game series starting June 27.
He continued, “Verlander is getting better, but still hasn’t started playing catch.”
After four and a half seasons and two World Series titles with the Astros (2017 and 2022), Verlander signed a two-year, $86.7 million contract with the Mets before the 2023 season. After playing just half a season in New York, the nine-time All-Star was sent back to Houston at the trade deadline, where Verlander went on to make his 35th career postseason start in Game 1 of the ALDS, the second most of any pitcher in MLB history.
In 10 starts this season, Verlander is 3-2 with a 3.95 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 51 strikeouts.
Can the Astros Bounce Back?
As of June 26, the Astros are second in the AL West with a record of 40-40. They are 3 games back in the Wild Card standings, with four teams ahead of them for the three slots to advance. While it certainly hasn’t been a stellar season for the Astros so far, their current seven-game winning streak implies things could be on the way up.
Arguably the biggest blow to the Astros this season has been their endless slew of pitcher injuries, as Bleacher Report’s Brandon Scott explained on June 25.
“[The Astros] have three starters recovering from Tommy John surgery, two of whom had the procedure in consecutive days earlier this month,” Scott wrote. “That does not include 41-year-old Justin Verlander, who was recently placed on the 15-day injured list with neck discomfort. The prospect they called up from Double-A to replace him, Jake Bloss, went 3.2 innings before he was pulled and ultimately placed on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation.”
With the team’s desperate need for pitching help, the Astros are very likely to prioritize acquiring at least one starter at this season’s trade deadline. There’s no question that they’ll have to be aggressive if they want to stage a comeback, and on June 3, Astros general manager Dana Brown seemed confident the team could do it.
“I don’t see any scenario where we’re sellers,” Brown told Rome. “I’ve seen teams blow leads from five games up to seven games up in September. In Atlanta when we won the World Series, we didn’t get to .500 until game 100. I don’t foresee us being sellers at all. We’re going to grind it out. I think we’re going to get back to .500 before people know it and we’ll be back in the race.”
As of June 26, the Astros are officially back to .500.
New York Mets Will Be Watching Verlander’s Recovery
On June 23, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that it’s not only the Astros with a financial interest in the status of Verlander’s recovery — the New York Mets will also be keeping tabs on the injured ace.
“The New York Mets are closely watching the health of Astros ace Justin Verlander, who’s back on the injured list and in danger of not pitching 140 innings,” Nightengale wrote. “He has pitched just 57 innings in 10 starts this season. If Verlander reaches 140 innings, his $35 million player option for 2025 vests and the Mets are required to pay $17.5 million of it. If he doesn’t, they’re off the hook.”
When the Mets traded Verlander to the Astros in August 2023, they agreed to pay $25 million of Verlander’s 2024 salary and half of his $35 million salary in 2025, should his 2025 option vest. In return, the Mets received outfield prospects Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford and cash considerations.