Astros Ace Justin Verlander Could Return on Friday
According to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle, Astros ace pitcher Justin Verlander could return to the starting rotation as soon as Friday.
The tentative plan is for Justin Verlander to return to Houston?s rotation on Friday, but Dusty Baker said it is not finalized.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) September 14, 2022
Verlander has been sidelined since August 28 due to a fascial disruption in his right calf. While manager Dusty Baker would not confirm the righty’s return, all reports on Verlander’s progress have been positive, with the veteran throwing multiple sessions without issue.
Speaking last week on his recovery, the two-time Cy Young Award winner said, “I think things have gone about as good as anybody could have hoped for to this point. It feels good to be able to get off the slope a little bit and to test that. It felt good.”
After missing all of last season due to Tommy John surgery, Verlander has been one of baseball’s best stories, compiling an MLB-leading 1.84 ERA across 152.0 innings pitched (24 starts), firmly establishing himself as one of the leading contenders in the AL Cy Young race.
FanDuel Sportsbook has yet to update their AL Cy Young odds at the time of writing.
