Houston Astros Give Encouraging Injury Update on Justin Verlander

The Houston Astros could soon see Justin Verlander back on the mound in game action.

Feb 18, 2024; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) looks / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros have had their rotation decimated over the last few months.

The club will be without Lance McCullers Jr., Justin Verlander, Jose Urquidy and Luis Garcia will all begin the season on the injured list.

That prompted the Astros and their owner Jim Crane to seriously pursue two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell to help supplement the rotation. Snell ended up signing with the San Francisco Giants on a two-year, $62 million deal.

While it may seem like all the news coming out of Houston's camp on the pitching front is bad, there is a nugget of good news.

Verlander, who was sidelined this spring, will throw a two-inning, live BP session at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday according to manager Joe Espada. If that goes as planned, then Verlander could begin a minor league rehab assignment and start making his way back to the Major League rotation.

That would seem him miss a minimum amount of time, as long as everything goes as planned. Something the Astros will desperately needed as they are slated to open up the season with Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Hunter Brown, J.P. France, and Ronel Blanco.

Verlander, while 41 years old, has proven he can still pitch effectively at the level as long as he maintains health. In 2023, Verlander posted a 3.22 ERA with a 1.133 WHIP in 162.1 innings pitched between the New York Mets and the Astros.

The 2024 MLB season will be a telling one for Verlander and his quest to remain healthy and effective at the level. His success will likely play a direct role in whether or not Houston can return to another World Series with this iteration of their roster.