5 hours Ago By Adam Wells
After another rough start that raised his ERA to 5.55, Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander admitted he probably rushed his comeback from a neck injury that kept him out for two months earlier this season. Verlander told reporters after Friday's 9-7 win over the Los Angeles Angels he came back from the injury "a little fast" because he wanted to prove his value for an Astros team that is closing in on another playoff berth.
"I think I came back from the neck injury a little fast," he said. "Obviously I know the schedule, I know the calendar and I want to be an asset for this team and to do that I need to be able to pitch and find out where I'm at. Obviously, the results have not been good, but there's nothing you can do besides trying to pitch.
" The Astros placed Verlander on the 15-day injured list on June 18 due to neck discomfort. Manager Joe Espada said at the time the three-time Cy Young winner attempted to pitch through it, but the issue wasn't getting any better. Verlander had a 3.
95 ERA through 57 innings in 10 starts at the time he went on the IL. He has made six starts since being activated off the IL. His ERA in that span is 8.
89 with 39 hits allowed, 18 strikeouts and 10 walks in 27.1 innings. Friday night saw Verlander give up six runs on eight hits in 4.
2 innings against the Los Angeles Angels. The Astros were able to hang on for a 9-7 win thanks to the bullpen allowing just one run in 4.1 innings of work.
Houston's magic number to win the AL West is down to four, but Verlander's struggles do raise a lot of questions about whether or not he should start a playoff game if the team gets in. Framber Valdez, Ronel Blanco, Hunter Brown and Yusei Kikuchi seem like locks at this moment to fill out the Astros' playoff rotation. Verlander and Spencer Arrighetti (4.
68 ERA in 20 starts) are likely vying for the last spot, assuming Espada decides to use a five-man rotation in October. Verlander's 5.55 ERA is more than two runs higher than his career mark (3.
30). This will be the first season he finished with an ERA over 4.00 since 2014 (4.
54)..
