Justin Verlander Update: Veteran pitcher optimistic of big league return after positive rehab performance

Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander shared positive updates on his injury after his second rehab start. The 41-year-old has been out of the big-league squad for almost two months due to a persisting neck injury.

On Tuesday, Verlander started his second rehab outing for the Astros' Double-A affiliates, the Corpus Christi Hooks, where he tossed 57 pitches in four innings.

In the post-game interview, the veteran pitcher reflected on his start. Verlander said he is pleased with his performance but needs to be evaluated before taking the next step.

“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," Verlander said.

Justin Verlander opens up about an important lesson learned amid injury rehab

Justin Verlander reflected on the important lesson he learned during his injury rehab. In an interview, the 41-year-old veteran said he learned a lot about his body while rehabbing from this injury, especially his posture.

"You end up getting in some compensatory positions you don’t even realize you’re in until something happens," Verlander said. "So this brought a lot of awareness to my posture and I feel like it’s been very beneficial, especially to my mechanics. [via ClutchPoints].

"I feel, interestingly, as I fix my neck posture, my back posture, it’s given me some more mobility in my arms, [scapula], upper back."

"I feel a little bit more free and easy than I did before the injury. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. I hope so. I try to be positive about it. Obviously, you never want to have an injury, but the only thing you can do is learn and move forward,” he added.

Before landing on the IL, he started 10 games for the Astros with a 3-2 record, ERA of 3.95, WHIP of 1.21, and 51 strikeouts. As the team enters the last stretch of the regular season, manager Joe Espada would like to add Verlander's services to claim the division.