The Houston Astros left three-time Cy Young Award-winning right-hander Justin Verlander off their roster for the Wild Card Series against the Detroit Tigers, Verlander’s original team.
The omission was widely anticipated, despite Verlander’s bona fides, because the 41-year-old had a 5.48 ERA this season and made only 17 starts after missing much of the summer with a neck injury.
But another Astros cornerstone, Yordan Alvarez, was on the wild-card roster. Alvarez, who batted .308 with 35 homers this season, sprained his right knee — the same knee he had surgically repaired in 2020 — on an awkward slide Sept. 22. His availability for this series was in question as he rehabbed with team physicians, but he recovered quickly and will start for the Astros in Game 1.
Manager Joe Espada said Alvarez won’t be running at full speed and is not expected to slide. To compensate, the Astros have 15 position players on the 26-man wild-card roster.
Joe Espada called the conversation with Justin Verlander “very easy.”
“A true pro. He is a true pro,” Espada said.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) October 1, 2024
Ace Framber Valdez will start for the Astros opposite the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal, the presumptive AL Cy Young winner, in the wild-card opener Tuesday afternoon. Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco and Yusei Kikuchi all established themselves as better starting options this October than Verlander.
Verlander held the Cleveland Guardians to three runs over six innings Saturday in his last start of the season. It was the 262nd career victory for the future Hall of Famer.
Verlander could, in theory, be added to the playoff roster if the Astros advance. He has pitched for the Astros in five previous postseasons, posting a 3.74 playoff ERA for them and winning two World Series.
Verlander will be a free agent this offseason, as he did not reach the 140 regular-season innings needed to trigger a vesting option for 2025.
(Photo: Ken Blaze / Imagn Images)
