Houston Astros fans were surprised when players reported to Spring Training and Justin Verlander was said to be dealing with a shoulder injury that has gotten him behind schedule in the early parts of camp.
Losing Verlander would be a huge hit as he's a big part of the Astros competing for a World Series. In the 2023 season, at age 40, Verlander posted a 3.22 ERA in 162 1/3 innings.
There's hope that he can return to what he did in 2022 when he posted a 1.75 ERA and won the Cy Young. However, injuries and age are a factor, but even a similar season to 2023 would help this team.
As long as he can stay healthy, Houston will find themselves in a better position than if not.
When asked about his concerns with Verlander's shoulder by Bill Ladson of MLB.com, general manager Dana Brown sounded encouraged about his recovery.
"No concerns about Verlander. He never stopped throwing the whole time... I think he is going to be fine."
That's a promising sign as Verlander looks to work his way up for the Astros.
Brown added that it's important to remember he's older, and while he's delayed, he understands his body.
Verlander is still throwing bullpens, another promising sign as he was never shut down at any point.
With Framber Valdez and Verlander set to be the top arms in this rotation, they'll need both healthy. Even if that means Verlander misses a few starts, having him fully healthy by the postseason should be the main goal for the Astros this year.
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