Astros place Justin Verlander on 15-day injured list with 'neck discomfort'

Astros pitcher Justin Verlander is on the 15-day injured list with neck discomfort just three days after being scratched from his scheduled start against the Detroit Tigers at Minute Maid Park.

At first, the Verlander and Astros manager Joe Espada seemed optimistic that the injury would not require an IL stint. Their plan was to fly to Chicago to face the White Sox and decide over the flight who their starter would be Thursday.

But Espada revealed early Wednesday that Verlander was progressing slower than they had hoped. Then this afternoon, the team announced Verlander's place on the injured list, retroactive to Sunday, June 16.

Verlander, now 41, is not quite the same pitcher he was as the AL Cy Young winner for the Astros two seasons ago. Yet his experience and ability attack the strike zone is still about as reliable as anything the Astros have going on their pitching staff, maybe aside from the emergence of Ronel Blanco.

In 10 starts, Verlander's posted a 3.95 ERA and 4.98 FIP across 57 innings pitched. He needs to pitch 140 innings for his $35 million vesting option kicks in for 2025.

Verlander's injury is the latest for the Astros, who have grown all to familiar with it. They are already missing Jose Urquidy and Cristian Javier, who had Tommy surgery on back-to-back days earlier this month.

Luis Garcia is still recovering from Tommy John surgery and expected to make a return later in the season. Lance McCullers Jr. has not pitched for the Astros since the 2022 World Series.