Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander left his start on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles after just three innings of work.
It was later revealed that it was a right calf issue that was bothering Verlander.
Today, the Astros were forced to place their veteran ace on the 15-Day Injured List.
Ultimately though, it looks like the Astros won’t be without Verlander for too long.
Astros insider Julia Morales revealed an update from the team’s general manager James Click, who said that the MRI on Verlander’s calf is ultimately good news, meaning the injury isn’t too severe and Verlander won’t be out for too long.
GM James Click says the MRI results for Justin Verlander is relatively good news and should be short term.
— Julia Morales (@JuliaMorales) August 30, 2022
Verlander Not Expected To Be Out Long-Term
While it’s bad news that Verlander is on the injured list, the silver lining is that it will not take him too long to recover.
The Astros still have a wealth of starting pitching depth.
With names such as Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia, Framber Valdez, and Lance McCullers, the Astros shouldn’t be in too much trouble.
They also have Jose Urquidy, who has put together a solid season to date, going 12-5 with a 3.69 ERA in 24 starts.
The Astros also still have the best record in the American League.
If Verlander is out the minimum 15 days, then it’s very likely that he’ll only miss a few starts, maybe two at most.
The Astros open up a three-game set with the Texas Rangers tonight at Globe Life Field and will send Valdez to the mound.
The left-hander is 13-4 with a 2.65 ERA.
It seems that the injury to Verlander isn’t too severe and that it won’t be a long-term issue.
We’ll see how Verlander recovers and what the Astros will do in their rotation until he returns.
NEXT: The Astros Reveal An Unfortunate Justin Verlander Update