The Houston Astros released their roster for the American League Wild Card series against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, and one very familiar name was missing: Justin Verlander.
The 41-year-old Verlander did not make Houston’s Wild Card playoff roster and won’t be able to appear in a game until the AL Division Series – if the Astros make it that far.
It’s been a rough season for Verlander, who had an ERA of nearly 4.00 before going on the injured list in June with a neck issue. He would not recover from that injury for two months, finally returning on August 19. Since then, his results haven’t exactly been great. In seven starts since returning from the injured list, Verlander has an ERA of 8.10.
Part of that inflated ERA is due to two very bad starts in September (he allowed eight runs against the Arizona Diamondbacks on September 8 and six against the Los Angeles Angels on September 21). But his other five starts were mostly mediocre.
If the Astros had a weaker pitching staff, Verlander likely would have been on the roster. But the Astros have the sixth-best staff in baseball by ERA (3.74), and both their rotation and bullpen have been excellent. There just wasn’t room for Verlander on this playoff roster.
It’s possible that Houston needs Verlander in the ALDS. It depends on how many games they play in the Wild Card series, as that will impact the lineup of their starting pitchers. So there’s still a chance we could see Verlander in the playoffs.
