The Houston Astros have released their 26-man roster ahead of the wild card Series, and Justin Verlander’s name is not on it.
Verlander has been on the injured list twice this season, and so far, his performances haven’t measured up to that of a three-time Cy Young Award-winner, posting an 8.10 ERA through 33 1/3 innings across his past seven starts.
But this doesn’t mean that Verlander can’t make a return. Players on the 40-man roster or 60-day injured list as of 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 31 are eligible to make postseason rosters, which are submitted ahead of each series. Verlander last pitched on Saturday, Sept. 28, and with five days of rest, would be ready to pitch by Wednesday if the Astros went to three games with the Detroit Tigers.
Verlander has extensive postseason history, including appearances with the Tigers when they last made the playoffs in 2014. He’s appeared in 38 postseason games, holding a 3.58 ERA across 226 innings dating back to 2006. He’s appeared in 22 postseason games for the Astros, recording a 3.74 ERA across 127 2/3 innings, including an American League Championship Series MVP performance during the Astros’ first title run in 2017.
It’s certainly a surprise to see Verlander’s name left off the roster, especially after his quality start in Cleveland showed some promise. But after giving up six earned runs through 4 2/3 innings against the Los Angeles Angels on Sept. 20, the ace had made his peace with the possibility.
“It’s not my decision, but I was away for two months, and these guys were pitching fantastic,” Verlander said after the game. “You’ve seen a bunch of guys really come into their own and like I said— I see the calendar. That’s why I had to come back and try to find myself. There’s only one way to be successful in this game and as a pitcher, and that’s to pitch against the best talent in the world. Sitting there trying to give myself time wasn’t possible. I needed to figure out where I was at. It’s been hard. It’s been a tough lesson.”
Astros’ Wild Card Roster:
Pitchers:
Bryan Abreu
Spencer Arrighetti
Hunter Brown
Yusei Kikuchi
Bryan King
Héctor Neris
Josh Hader
Ryan Pressly
Framber Valdez
Kaleb Ort
Caleb Ferguson
Ronel Blanco
Catchers
Victor Caratini
Yainer Diaz
César Salazar
Infielders
Jose Altuve
Alex Bregman
Zach Dezenzo
Jeremy Peña
Jon Singleton
Outfielders
Yordan Alvarez
Mauricio Dubón
Jason Heyward
Chas McCormick
Jake Meyers
Kyle Tucker
