Houston Astros Schedule Verlander’s Next Injury Rehab Start
The Houston Astros are sending their former Cy Young winner out to one of their minor-league affiliates for a second injury rehab start.
The Houston Astros have set Justin Verlander’s next injury rehab start, which will take him to Double-A Corpus Christi, per MLB.com.
Verlander will join the Hooks in Frisco, Texas, where they are facing the RoughRiders, the Texas Rangers’ Double-A affiliate, and start Saturday’s game.
Verlander will likely face at least one Major League hitter in the game. Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe started a rehab assignment with the RoughRiders on Friday as he works his way back from a strained oblique he suffered in spring training.
Verlander is working back from a shoulder issue that put him about two weeks behind the rest of the pitching staff in spring training.
The expectation is that Verlander will throw up to 75 pitches.
By joining the Hooks, he’ll be closer to Houston and can rejoin the Astros afterward, who are hosting the Rangers this weekend and then host Atlanta afterward. The Astros have said they hope to make a decision on whether Verlander can be activated or needs more time after his second rehab start.
Triple-A Sugar Land is in Albuquerque this week.
Verlander’s first rehab start was last Sunday in Sugar Land. He threw three-plus innings, giving up seven hits, seven runs (six earned) and one walk. He also struck out six. He threw 65 pitches, 46 of which were strikes.
After that he joined the Astros in Kansas City and threw a bullpen session to stay on track.
The Astros could use a healthy veteran starter right now. The Astros placed left-hander Framber Valdez on the injured list on Tuesday. Three other starters — Jose Urquidy, Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. — are also on the injured list.
Getting Verlander back sometime next week would be a huge boost for a rotation that just pressed their top pitching prospect, Spencer Arrighetti, into the Majors this week.
Last season Verlander was 13-8 overall, he was 7-3 with a 3.31 ERA with the Astros. He posted his numbers in 27 starts as the start of his season was delayed due to injury. The Astros re-acquired him from the Mets at last season’s trade deadline for two outfield prospects — Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford.
