Approaching Retirement, Justin Verlander Suffers a Huge Setback as Astros Stay Third in AL West

Yet another injury scare for the 41-year-old Justin Verlander as he was scratched just a few minutes before against the Tigers due to neck discomfort. As he approaches retirement, MLB’s happy career ending for Verlander seems bleak. Replacing him, the right-hander Spencer Arrighetti, who was about to start on Sunday, took the place of Verlander in Houston, eventually in a losing cause of 13-5 against the Detroit Tigers. 

Without a doubt, Verlander, at 41, was always at risk of injuries due to the age factor and his history of past injuries. Just a few weeks ago, he complained of neck discomfort. However, he could pitch the ball even with a slight neck strain. Speaking with the media, Verlander said, “Any time you miss a start, it’s not something you want to have happen,” Verlander said.

“Honestly, day to day is a good thing. The fact it’s good enough that it’s, ‘OK, we don’t have to put you on the IL,’ you have to trust the trainers, trust everybody you’re talking to and I think the prognosis is pretty good.” Additionally, Joe Espada, Astros manager, was quiet about the player who would start for the Sunday series finale. “We’re still working on that,” Espada said.

Sharing his struggles due to neck discomfort time after time, Verlander went on saying.“It’s kind of following the same pattern where after I throw a little bit it gets a little flared up, and you kind of have to work through it,” he said. “If this was playoff time, I’d like to think I’d be out there. That pattern where every day it’s getting a little bit better, I think with the off days and talking with everybody, we think it’s the best to let it fully resolve itself and hopefully it does.”

Also, he cut short his recent bullpen session on Wednesday due to the neck strain, which is bothering him. After starting with a decent form in April, the right-handed Houston pitcher failed to find his vintage form. He has an era of 3.25 across 19 seasons playing in the big leagues. Usually, he would find himself among the top pitchers. But that hasn’t been the case in recent years. 

Justin Verlander is not in his prime, but his record tells a different story

Without a doubt, at age 41, Justin Verlander would take longer to recover than he would have in his prime. Also, it would be wise for him to play a couple of matches carefully after recovery. With Houston sitting at 32-38, the club cannot afford another long-term injury for one of their top pitchers. Also, the Houston Astros has struggled in its pitching department. Currently, they rank 20th in their league, having an ERA of just 4.13. Only Ronel Blano has a 2.67 mark, the only player having a good year. 

While Justin Verlander’s neck injury is a potential loss in the short term, he has got plenty left to offer. The right-handed pitcher had a solid 2023 campaign. Throughout the 2023 season, he performed exceptionally well for the Astros and New York Mets (former team). His stats spoke for his performance; having a 7-3 and 3.31 ERA for Houston, he was a different beast.

The nine-time All-Star player also has a stunning 2.95 ERA plated across 18.1 playoff innings in his last season. Eventually, Houston fans might feel like the sky is falling. But, with Justin Verlander’s past track record, they shouldn’t worry much. After coming out of injury, he might display his proper form, which made him a superstar pitcher throughout his MLB career.