Houston Astros' Justin Verlander Lands On IL with Right Calf Injury

The Houston Astros will be without their ace, Justin Verlander for the next two weeks, at least.

Verlander was placed on the 15-day Injured List Tuesday, retroactive to Monday, August 29.

Verlander exited Sunday's game early against the Baltimore Orioles, throwing just 60 pitches over three scoreless innings. Verlander sustained the injury running to cover first base.

An MRI showed fascial disruption, but no muscle fiber disruption, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reports.

The Astros placed Justin Verlander on the 15-day IL with a right calf injury retroactive to August 29. Per the team, an MRI revealed fascial disruption, but no muscle fiber disruption. Verlander sustained the injury while covering first base during Monday's start.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) August 30, 2022

Losing Verlander for any amount of time is a significant blow to the Astros, who have a four-game lead over the New York Yankees for the American League's best record and top playoff seed for the newly revamped Major League Baseball playoffs.

Verlander, at the age of 39, is miraculously enjoying the best season of his career, after missing the 2021 season and recovering from Tommy John Surgery. Through 152 innings, his 1.87 ERA and 0.85 WHIP are the lowest of his career, and his 203 ERA+ is the best of his career. This is a guy who has already won an American League MVP, a rarity for a pitcher.

Verlander is currently the odds-on American League Cy Young favorite in most sportsbooks.

The Astros have announced that in a batch of corresponding roster moves, the club has optioned 26-year-old outfielder Jake Myers to Triple-A Sugar Land and recalled 26-year-old first baseman and designated hitter J.J. Matijevic and 26-year-old pitcher Brandon Bielak from Triple-A.

The Astros have also announced that they have added pitcher Hunter Brown to the club's Taxi Squad, meaning Brown could be making his big league debut very soon.

The Astros have made the following roster moves:

- Justin Verlander has been placed on the 15-day IL
- Jake Meyers has been optioned to AAA
+ Brandon Bielak has been recalled from AAA
+ J.J. Matijevic has been recalled from AAA
+ Hunter Brown has been added to the Taxi Squad
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 30, 2022

Brown, a 6-foot-2 right-handed 24-year-old, is the Astros' no. 1 prospect and MLB.com's no. 71 overall prospect. The Astros selected him in the fifth round of the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.

In 23 games and 14 starts in Triple-A this season, Brown has a 9-4 record, 2.55 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over 106 innings pitched.