Justin Verlander will make his return to the Houston Astros rotation on Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox, manager Joe Espada told reporters on Monday (including Chandler Rome of The Athletic). It'll serve as his first appearance for the Astros at the big-league level since June 9 after a prolonged bout of neck soreness.
Verlander, 41, is a three-time Cy Young Award winner and a nine-time All-Star honoree. He missed the onset of the season while recovering from right shoulder inflammation, meaning he's made just 10 starts to date. In those appearances, he's compiled a 3.95 ERA (102 ERA+) and a 3.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
In other Astros news, Espada announced that fellow right-hander Luis Garcia will not return this year. Garcia, 27, underwent Tommy John surgery last May. He's suffered a few setbacks during his rehab process, and while he intends to continue throwing, his sights will now shift toward being hearty and hale for next spring. Garcia has, in 69 career appearances, amassed a 3.61 ERA (113 ERA+) and a 3.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
The Astros have dealt with various rotation injuries all season long. Earlier this summer, they announced that Lance McCullers Jr. would also miss the rest of the campaign. Nevertheless, the Astros entered Monday with a four-game lead in the American League West over the Seattle Mariners. (The Astros, it should be noted, trailed by 10 games as recently as June 18, almost exactly two months ago.)
Houston will begin a three-game set against the Red Sox on Monday night. Then, beginning on Thursday, they'll play a four-game set against the Baltimore Orioles that could serve as a potential preview of this fall's AL Championship Series.
