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Houston Astros veteran pitcher Justin Verlander is showing positive signs during his rehab starts. The 41-year-old is closing in on his return after being sidelined due to injury. Verlander was placed on the injured list on June 18 due to neck issues.
According to Julia Morales of Space City Home Network, Justin Verlander could return to the Astros for their game against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday if he feels better after Sunday’s bullpen session.
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Since being sidelined, Justin Verlander has been working on his rehab to return to the team. On Thursday, he made his second rehab start in the minors.
Verlander threw 57 pitches over four innings while playing for the Houston Astros' Double-A affiliate, the Corpus Christi Hooks, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out five.
The three-time AL Cy Young Award winner’s last outing with the Astros was on June 9 against the Los Angeles Angels, where he allowed four runs on seven hits while striking out three.
This season, Verlander has pitched in only 10 games for the Astros. He holds a 3-2 win-loss record with a 3.95 ERA and has 51 strikeouts with a 1.21 WHIP.
Justin Verlander pleased with his performance after rehab start
After Thursday’s rehab start, Verlander seemed pleased with his performance, saying in a post-game interview:
“Especially the last couple innings, kind of felt like I was able to dial in a little bit.
"And physically felt good. I thought it was good. … Kind of as the mechanics started to find themselves, I think the velo jumped up a bit. And I thought particularly the fourth inning was really good."
Despite Verlander’s absence, the Houston Astros (67-56) are performing well, leading the AL West with a .545 winning percentage. They have won nine of their last 10 games. Their most recent victory was on Sunday, a 2-0 win against the Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park.
The Houston Astros start a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox on Monday.
