ASTROS NEWS
Astros manager provides important update on Justin Verlander
Aug 12, 2024, 2:29 pm
Good news out of Sugar Land. Composite Getty Image.
Justin Verlander took his first step to returning to the Houston Astros, tossing three innings for Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday night.
Working back from neck stiffness that’s sidelined him for two months, the 41-year-old, three-time Cy Young Award winner threw 52 pitches and 36 strikes, allowing one run with three strikeouts and two walks.
Astros manager Joe Espada said they were waiting to hear how he felt Sunday, and then he’ll probably get another rehab start before he could get back to the majors.
“Everything was positive, so hopefully we can get one more and then we can get him on the major-league level,” Espada said Sunday morning, standing outside the dugout at Fenway Park before the Astros faced the Red Sox in the series finale. “It’s all about JV, depending how he feels for what he needs to get him back here to stay.”
Verlander hasn’t pitched since June 9. He also missed the beginning of the season with right shoulder inflammation before going 3-2 with a 3.95 ERA in 10 starts. He made his season debut April 19.
“Physically, I felt good,” Verlander told reporters after his start Saturday. “Checked all the boxes I needed to today. I was able to throw everything, but execution wasn’t as good as I would like. I try not to be too nitpicky. Health is first and foremost, the hard thing with coming back on rehab starts is you don’t have as many starts to fine tune all your mechanics like we do in spring training. You have to be a bit critical in execution and try to get better next time out.”
Espada said his fastball reached 95 a few times.
“He reported everything went really well, waiting to hear from him this morning,” Espada said.
A two-time World Series champion with the Astros, Verlander left for the New York Mets in free agency before the 2023 season. He was traded back to Houston in August last year.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.