The Houston Astros announced their Wild Card roster on Tuesday morning, and there was a noticeable name absent: Justin Verlander.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner missed a chunk of the 2024 season due to injuries in his shoulder and neck.
General manager Dana Brown talked about the 41-year-olds absence and said Verlander took the news as well as he could.
“I think, ultimately, Verlander is a professional; he’s been in the game a long time, and you know, ultimately, he wants to do what’s best for the club,” he said. “And so I thought that from talking to Joe (Espada) the conversation went very well.”
Astros manager Espada mirrored what Brown said saying Verlander was the ultimate pro during the talk.
“I think JV understands how well some of our starters performed, some of our young guys,” he said. “It was pretty clear where he stood.”
The Astros will have a power bat in Yordan Alvarez, at least. He might not be at 100 percent, but according to Espada, he’s “good enough” to play in the postseason.
The designated hitter is dealing with a sprained right knee, the same knee he had surgery on back in 2020, but Espada says having Alvarez at 70 or 80 percent is “better than a lot of players in the league.”
The three-time All-Star, including a selection in 2024, finished this regular season slashing .308/.392/.567 with 35 home runs. In 58 postseason games, he’s batting with a .295 average and 41 RBI.
About Jessica Kleinschmidt
Jess is a baseball fan with Reno, Nev. roots residing in the Bay Area. She is the host of "Short and to the Point" and is also a broadcaster with the Oakland A's Radio Network. She previously worked for MLB.com and NBC Sports Bay Area.