Astros ace Justin Verlander discussed his ongoing shoulder issues with reporters, including Chandler Rome of The Athletic, and his comments shed little light on whether the veteran righty will be able to take the mound on Opening Day.
“We still got some time, obviously it’s tight, but things are progressing,” Verlander told reporters, as relayed by Rome. “We’re not even looking a week out or two weeks out, so it’s kind of hard to forecast anything past that.”
Verlander went on to make clear that he’s feeling no discomfort in his shoulder.
“Every day I touch the mound has been progression,” Verlander added.
While the veteran ace has yet to face live hitting this spring, Rome adds that manager Joe Espada indicated Verlander could start to face live hitting “at some point” after his next bullpen session, adding that said bullpen would likely “determine” Verlander’s readiness for Opening Day.
Verlander, who celebrated his 41st birthday on Feb. 20, followed up his AL Cy Young award winning campaign in 2022 with a solid 2023 split between the Mets and Astros. In 27 starts between the two clubs, the right-hander pitched to a strong 3.22 ERA in 162 1/3 innings of work. That being said, his 21.5% strikeout rate last year was the lowest he had posted since 2015, leaving him with a 3.85 FIP that puts him closer to “solid mid-rotation arm” than “surefire ace.”
Even if Verlander isn’t the dominant pitcher he was in his late 30s now that he’s entered his 40s, the right-hander figures to be a key piece of the Astros rotation alongside Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier. Should Verlander miss time to start the season, that would likely leave Houston to lean more heavily on their back-of-the-rotation arms such as Jose Urquidy and Hunter Brown.
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