Nine-Time All-Star Left Off Houston Astros Playoff Roster

The MLB postseason is officially beginning on Tuesday. The New York Yankees, Cleveland Guardians, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies each earned a first-round BYE.

There are a lot of storylines in the postseason, including the surprising Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals facing off in one American League Wild Card series.

The other AL Wild Card series pits the Houston Astros against the Detroit Tigers. However, in a bit of a surprise, nine-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion and former Tiger Justin Verlander was left off the Astros' postseason roster, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

"Justin Verlander did not make the Astros’ Wild Card Series roster," Rome wrote on X.

With a revised postseason format, the first Wild Card round is a best-of-three, so the first to two wins advances to the ALDS.

The 41-year-old has not had much success this season, registering a 5-6 record with a 5.48 ERA.

On the other hand, if the Astros move on, he could be a candidate for the NLDS roster. Verlander last pitched on Sept. 28 against the Guardians, allowing three runs on seven hits in six innings.

Astros manager Joe Espada explained the decision and mentioned Verlander's viewpoint, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

“It was a very easy conversation," Espada said. "Justin Verlander is a professional and he knows how well our starting pitchers have performed during the season…He is a true pro.”

Verlander began his MLB career with the Tigers in 2005 before being traded to the Astros In 2017.

Since then, he has spent every year with the Astros except for the 2023 campaign, when he began with the New York Mets before being traded back to the Astros.

The Astros-Tigers series begins on Tuesday with Tarik Skubal on the mound for Detroit and Framber Valdez throwing for Houston.

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