Houston’s pitching staff expects to add a future Hall of Famer in its upcoming series vs. Boston.
Framber Valdez and Yusei Kikuchi are in All-Star form for the Houston Astros. Hunter Brown and Spencer Arrighetti are enjoying early-career breakouts. As Houston’s pitching staff hits its stride, its former ace will now join for the stretch run.
Justin Verlander is expected to take the mound Wednesday for Houston in the series finale against the Boston Red Sox at Minute Maid Park, per manager Joe Espada. Verlander has not pitched in a Major League game since June 9 due to a neck injury, though he reportedly “felt strong” following both a recent bullpen outing and a four-inning effort for Double-A Corpus Christi.
August and September starts for Verlander remain important in Houston’s bid for another AL West crown. More important, however, is Verlander’s form in October. Consider these upcoming starts opportunities to fine tune his stuff, with another dose of postseason innings likely on the horizon for the 41-year-old hurler.
A healthy Verlander on the bump is a trusted arm, one who is still effective thanks to a deep pitch mix and plenty of smarts and guile. His presence on the mound in the late summer comes with an added bonus for manager Espada. Adding Verlander gives Houston a likely six-man rotation through the rest of the regular-season, limiting the innings on the current collection of starters. Arrighetti is a rookie. Brown has just over 300 career innings under his belt. With Valdez standing as the lone true innings eater on the staff, the more arms the merrier for Espada and Co.
Kikuchi will take the mound at Minute Maid Park on Monday as Houston looks to continue a blistering stretch for its collection of arms. Josh Hader is earning two-inning saves and racking up scoreless frames with ease. The aforementioned starters cruised through their recent road trip, and since Aug. 1, no teams sports a better collective ERA than Houston’s sterling 2.44 mark.
Houston is now four games ahead of the Seattle Mariners for the AL West lead. The Astros are just 4.5 games back of the Cleveland Guardians for the AL’s No. 2 seed. If Houston’s pitching keeps rolling, a once-unthinkable wild-card-round bye could be within reach.
First pitch from Houston on Monday is slated for 7:10 p.m. CT
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