As Justin Verlander’s Return Nears, Brother Remains “Nervous” About the Ace’s Health

While Justin Verlander’s comeback is great news for the Houston Astros, it has still left many quite “nervous.” It isn’t because they doubt the ace’s abilities, but because, at 41, it’s difficult to understand how much wear and tear Verlander’s body has. Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest worries out there is Verlander’s brother. While Ben Verlander remains optimistic, he gave an interesting picture of his mindset heading into Verlander’s debut on Friday.

On Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander, the younger brother showed his excitement about Justin Verlander’s debut. Though, as his broadcaster partner Alex Curry noted, Ben Verlander was a little “nervous” about everything. To this, the young Verlander replied that he’s always nervous about his older brother because he can’t control what happens on the mound. That scares him because he’ll never know whether Justin Verlander will remain healthy or not.

Saying that he doesn’t care whether Justin Verlander gives away too many runs, Ben shared, “I just want him to come out of it healthy, good to go. I’m always more nervous for everything he does cuz’ I can’t control the outcome of it.” However, the younger Verlander was feeling good about Justin Verlander facing the Washington Nationals—until he remembered they’d just beaten the Los Angeles Dodgers.

So while Ben Verlander was extremely critical of the Houston Astros, he wished Justin Verlander well. The fact that the Astros’ pitching staff has been disastrous till now only increased the importance of the 3x Cy Young winner. However, there’s a long road to walk before they can fly again. 

Can Verlander improve their playoff chances? Perhaps he can. But then, Verlander isn’t in his prime anymore, and that could be a tough situation for the 2022 World Series winners.

Houston Astros hope for the best after Justin Verlander’s return

“Getting him back is huge because it brings a level of confidence to our team, a boost of confidence that we’re going to get someone who’s been an MVP, a Cy Young (winner) on the mound,” Astros’ manager Joe Espada said. “It’s (good) for the morale.” (Per ESPN) 

This is something that the entire Astros squad is hoping for. The team’s current start has been nothing short of disastrous. With just a .300 record, they’ve recorded only 6 wins. However, even then, the team won’t rush Verlander back to the mound. So while he’s debuting on Friday, Verlander won’t be loaded with too many pitches initially. The Astronauts do not want their ace to get hurt once again.

As a result, the team will still depend on the rest of its bullpen to help it through. The only issue is that their bullpen has disappointed till now. Could a turnaround happen now that Verlander is back in the dugout? Perhaps it could. It certainly would bode well for the Astros if it comes.