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(Houston, TX) – After starting last year injured for the New York Mets, and eventually being traded back to Houston, Astros right-hander Justin Verlander will start the upcoming campaign on the injured list.
Tuesday morning, manager Joe Espada said Verlander is “doing well” in coming back from shoulder soreness, but that there’s no rush.
Espada said the team wants to take a “smart” approach to Verlander and he ramps up his workload and gets closer to being able to throw nine innings. The 3-time Cy Young Award winner first reported shoulder soreness in his throwing shoulder, after dealing with a teres major muscle strain last year – just before Opening Day.
It doesn’t sound like the 41-year-old is dealing with a major issue here but rather just needs some extra time to get stretched out. Espada was clear to note Verlander did not suffer a setback of any kind. Over the weekend he threw a 60-pitch bullpen session at the team’s spring training facility in West Palm Beach.
“He walked off the mound feeling really good about his side,” Espada said. “We’ll see how he bounces back tomorrow and see where we go from there.”
Even though Verlander won’t take the mound on Opening Day, throwing a bullpen session without any issues is fantastic news for Astros fans.
“I’m a little bit behind schedule now,” the Astros starter told reporters in February. “I had a little hiccup early on that’s resolved itself, but I have to be cautious about how I’m building up. I guess my body doesn’t respond the same at 40 as it did at 25. I’m a couple of weeks behind.”
Framber Valdez will likely get the start on Opening Day when the Astros host the New York Yankees on March 28.
