Astros' Justin Verlander: Plans to continue pitching in 2025
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Verlander said Wednesday that he plans to continue his major-league career in 2025, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Verlander -- who will turn 42 in February -- battled through a disappointing 2024 season, finishing with a 5.48 ERA and 74:27 K:BB over 90.1 innings covering 17 starts before being left off the Astros wild-card roster. He began the year on the injured list with a shoulder problem and also missed substantial time with a neck issue, an injury which he has indicated he might have come back too soon from and could have affected his performance. Given his age and the season he just had, Verlander will enter free agency with question marks, but he shouldn't have trouble finding a team willing to take a shot on a bounce-back showing in 2025.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Excluded from wild-card roster
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Verlander is not on the Astros' roster for the American League Wild Card Series versus the Tigers, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Verlander's absence from the roster, while perhaps jarring, is not a surprise, as he wasn't going to make a start in the series and was unlikely to be carried as a reliever. Whether he's on the ALDS roster, should the Astros advance, is a bigger question. Ronel Blanco and Spencer Arrighetti will be available in relief for Houston in the wild-card series.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Grabs win in Cleveland
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Verlander (5-6) picked up the win Saturday against the Guardians, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out five over six innings. He did not issue a walk.
Verlander completed six innings for the first time since May, as he tossed just his sixth quality start of the season. Verlander will have to wait and see if he did enough against the Guardians to make the postseason roster. The 41-year-old has been a shell of his former self as of late, as he entered Saturday's start with a 10.90 ERA in 17.1 innings in September.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Shaky in no-decision
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Verlander came away with a no-decision in Friday's 9-7 win over the Angels, surrendering six runs on eight hits and a walk over 4.2 innings. He struck out four.
The 41-year-old righty was staked to a 6-1 lead after three innings, but Verlander couldn't stick around long enough to qualify for the win, as he got the hook after 86 pitches (60 strikes). Verlander hasn't lasted more than five innings in any of his six starts since coming off the IL in late August, and his 8.89 ERA, 1.79 WHIP and 18:10 K:BB through 27.1 innings over that stretch makes it uncertain if he even has enough left in the tank to be part of Houston's postseason rotation. Verlander is scheduled to make one more regular-season start, on the road next weekend in Cleveland.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Earns first win since May
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Verlander (4-6) picked up the win over the Angels on Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks over five innings while striking out two.
Verlander actually got off to a rough start, allowing back-to-back walks and an RBI single to open the bottom of the first. However, he would then go on to retire 15 of the next 18 batters he faced before leaving the contest, allowing one more run on an Eric Wagaman double over that stretch. It marked the first win for the veteran right-hander since May 24 against Oakland, and it was only the second time in his last seven starts that he allowed fewer than four runs. Following the win, Verlander still carries a 10.66 ERA over three September outings to go along with an ugly 5:7 K:BB.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Tagged for eight runs
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Verlander (3-5) took the loss Sunday against the Diamondbacks, allowing eight runs on eight hits and a walk over three innings.
Seven of the runs Verlander let up came off the bat of Pavin Smith, who took Verlander deep in the second for three runs and then again in the third for a grand slam. The Astros have now lost five straight starts by Justin Verlander. Over his last three starts, he's allowed 17 runs over 12.2 innings while managing a 6:6 K:BB. He isn't missing many bats as of late, and that was the case again Sunday. He registered just two whiffs on his fastball and none with any of his secondary pitches. The 41-year-old now owns a 5.30 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 63:24 K:BB in 74.2 innings and will look to try and bounce back against the Angels over the weekend.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Tagged with third straight loss
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Verlander (3-5) took the loss Monday against the Reds, allowing five runs on eight hits and four walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out three.
Verlander walked the first three batters he faced in the bottom of the first inning, making it the first time in 522 career appearances that he's opened the game with three straight free passes. Verlander has lost all three of his starts since returning from a neck injury in late August and has a 6.75 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 12:6 K:BB across 14.2 innings during that span. The 41-year-old's current streak of five straight starts of five innings or fewer pitched is the longest of his career.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Suffers four-run inning in loss
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Verlander (3-4) took the loss against the Phillies on Tuesday, allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk with three strikeouts over five innings.
Verlander tossed four separate scoreless innings but endured a four-run third that included a three-run homer by Nick Castellanos. While he didn't have his best stuff, the veteran completed five frames for the second straight outing since returning from the injured list Wednesday and increased his workload to 90 pitches. On the season, Verlander owns a 4.16 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 60:19 K:BB across 67 innings and lines up for a road matchup with the Reds early next week.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Falls to Boston in return
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Verlander (3-3) took the loss Wednesday against the Red Sox, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out six.
Verlander looked a little rusty early in his first start since June 9, allowing a run in both of the first two innings. However, the 41-year-old Verlander would rebound to blank the Red Sox over his final three frames, retiring 10 straight batters to finish his outing before departing having thrown 76 pitches. Verlander now sports a 3.92 ERA across 62 innings this year with a 1.19 WHIP and 57:18 K:BB. He's currently in line for a tough road matchup with the Phillies in his next start early next week.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Slated to return Wednesday
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Astros manager Joe Espada said Sunday that Verlander (neck) is tentatively scheduled to return from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday's game against Boston, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Verlander completed his second rehab outing Thursday with Double-A Corpus Christi, tossing 57 pitches over four innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and no walks while striking out five. The 41-year-old threw a live bullpen session at Minute Maid Park on Sunday, and Espada and the Astros staff apparently came away satisfied with how the right-hander looked during the workout. Verlander is now on track to make his first start for the Astros since June 9, after a stiff neck had kept him on the shelf for more than two months. Across 10 starts with Houston this season, Verlander has gone 3-2 with a 3.95 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 51:17 K:BB across 57 frames.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Tosses 57 pitches in rehab outing
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Verlander (neck) threw 57 pitches and allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out five over four innings during his rehab start with Double-A Corpus Christi on Thursday.
Verlander has now pitched seven innings across his two rehab appearances, allowing two earned runs in the process. His pitch count increased slightly from 52 pitches during his first rehab outing on Aug. 10 to 57 in Thursday's game, so he's not yet built up to a full starter's workload. The 41-year-old right-hander will be re-evaluated Friday, and if all checks out, he could make his return during Houston's upcoming series versus Boston, which begins Monday.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Another rehab start Thursday
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Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday on SportsTalk 790 that Verlander (neck) will make his second rehab start with Double-A Corpus Christi on Thursday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Verlander fared well in his first rehab outing with Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday, throwing 52 pitches and yielding one run with three strikeouts over three innings. He'll ramp up the pitch count Thursday in what should be his final rehab start before rejoining the Astros' rotation next week. Verlander has been shelved since mid-June with neck problems.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Looks good in first rehab outing
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Verlander (neck) threw 52 pitches and allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out three over three innings during his rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday.
The veteran right-hander will be re-evaluated Sunday but is soon expected to be cleared for a second rehab outing. If all goes well during his next rehab start, Verlander could be activated from the 15-day injured list and make his return to Houston's rotation as early as Aug. 20 versus the Red Sox.
Verlander (neck) will make a rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
After getting through Wednesday's bullpen session without any issues, Verlander has now been given the green light to pitch in the minors. He threw 37 pitches over two innings during a simulated game Sunday, though he has been able to surpass the 50-pitch mark during bullpen sessions. It's unclear how long the Astros plan on keeping the 41-year-old righty in the minors, but he'll likely be in line for at least one more rehab outing after Saturday.
Verlander (neck) will likely begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land over the weekend, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Verlander will first need to get through a bullpen session Wednesday, but he'll be cleared to head to the minors if everything goes smoothly. The veteran righty built up to 37 pitches during his simulated game Sunday and will likely require multiple Triple-A outings before returning to Houston's rotation.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Another bullpen session on tap
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Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that Verlander (neck) will throw a bullpen session in the next few days before heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment, MLB.com reports.
Espada said Verlander faced hitters for "between 27 and 30 pitches" Tuesday in Houston, with the right-hander's fastball velocity peaking around 94 miles per hour. Verlander looks poised to throw again Friday or Saturday, and if all goes well, he'll likely report to an affiliate shortly thereafter. The 41-year-old has been on the injured list since June 18 with neck stiffness, but he may need just one start in the minors before Houston is comfortable reinserting him into its rotation.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Set to throw Tuesday
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Verlander (neck) will throw from the main mound at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday, MLB.com reports.
Manager Joe Espada said that Verlander will face hitters to simulate game action, but the hitters have been instructed not to swing. It is not clear how many pitches Verlander will throw, though he threw over 50 in his last bullpen session Saturday.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Tops 50 pitches
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Verlander (neck) threw more than 50 pitches in his bullpen session Saturday, MLB.com reports.
The exact number of pitches wasn't reported, but this was a step forward from his last session July 20 when he threw 40 pitches. It's expected that Verlander will return from the injured list in the upcoming week, though the team's exact plans are unclear.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Throws another bullpen
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Verlander (neck) threw 40 pitches during a bullpen session Saturday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Verlander is recovering from a neck injury that has sidelined him since June 18, but he's thrown a pair of bullpen sessions in the last week and was stretched out to 40 pitches Saturday. At this point, it's unclear if the 41-year-old will require a minor-league rehab stint.
Verlander (neck) threw 25 pitches in a bullpen session Sunday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Verlander used his entire arsenal in the session and finished the bullpen without incident, per McTaggart. He had originally been expected to toss 10-to-15 pitches, so all signs are that he's trending in a positive direction. A timeframe for Verlander's return isn't yet clear, but it is possible that he could rejoin Houston's rotation before the end of July.
