The Houston Astros placed Justin Verlander on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a neck problem, delivering another blow to Houston’s threadbare starting rotation while casting serious doubt about whether Verlander will reach the innings threshold for his 2025 vesting option.
Houston scratched Verlander from his start on Saturday with what the club described as “neck discomfort.” Verlander said the pain started “a couple weeks ago,” but he attempted to pitch through it. He stopped his bullpen session on Wednesday after the neck “flared up,” all but guaranteeing he would miss Saturday’s start against the Tigers.
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“If this was playoff time, I’d like to think I’d be out there,” Verlander said on Saturday. “But that pattern where it’s every day getting a little bit better, I think with the off days, it’s best to let it fully resolve itself and I hope it does.”
Some optimism existed that Verlander could return to the Astros rotation on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, but manager Joe Espada told the team’s flagship radio station on Tuesday afternoon that the 41-year-old right-hander’s progress was “slower than we expected.”
Three hours later, the Astros placed Verlander on the injured list. His stint is retroactive to June 16, meaning he is first eligible for activation on July 1, when Houston faces the Toronto Blue Jays. If he does, the clock will start on a crucial time for Verlander’s future.
Verlander’s contract contains a $35 million player option for the 2025 season that only vests if he throws 140 innings in 2024. If it vests, the New York Mets will pay $17.5 million of Verlander’s $35 million salary.
Verlander, who did not debut this season until April 19, has thrown 57 innings across his first 10 starts of the season. Throwing 83 more is not impossible — Verlander threw 105 1/3 innings across his final 17 starts last season — but it will require almost perfect health and a few deep starts from a 41-year-old pitcher who is already on the injured list for a second time this season.
Verlander, who began the year on the IL after a shoulder “hiccup” set him back in spring training, has finished seven innings in just three of his starts this season. Half of his 10 starts ended before the sixth inning.
If Verlander does not throw 140 innings, he will be a free agent this winter.
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(Photo: Troy Taormina / USA Today)