HOUSTON — Astros ace Justin Verlander will make his season debut on Friday against the Washington Nationals, manager Joe Espada said Wednesday, affording a boost to a Houston rotation in desperate need of it.
Verlander, 41, started the season on the injured list with what the team described as “shoulder inflammation.” He made two minor-league rehab starts over the past 10 days, surrendering 11 earned runs and 14 hits across seven innings.
“I feel like I’ve kind of checked all the boxes that needed to be checked,” Verlander said Monday. “I do feel like I’m ready to step on the mound again.”
Verlander did not throw more than 78 pitches in either of his rehab starts, so Espada intimated there may be some sort of a pitch count in his season debut.
Still, anything Verlander can provide will be a boon for an Astros rotation decimated by injuries. Houston has five starting pitchers on the IL, including Verlander. Two of them — Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. — aren’t scheduled to return until at or after the All-Star break.
Without Verlander or fellow workhorse Framber Valdez, the Astros’ rotation entered Wednesday with a 5.13 ERA. Only four teams have a higher one. Espada said it is a “possibility” that Valdez (elbow inflammation) could also rejoin the rotation during the upcoming eight-game road trip, though the southpaw still hasn’t thrown off a mound since going on the IL.
Verlander is in the final guaranteed season of a two-year, $86.7 million contract he signed with the New York Mets after the 2022 season. The deal contains a $35 million option for the 2025 season that will only trigger if he throws 140 innings this year.
“It’s good to get him back in the rotation,” Espada said. “To get him back on track, get some innings from him and build our rotation with the pieces that we need to move forward, it’s exciting to have him back.”
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(Photo of Justin Verlander in spring training: Jeff Roberson / Associated Press)
