ASTROS NEWS
Astros manager provides encouraging update on Houston's ace Justin Verlander
Apr 4, 2024, 3:02 pm
Fans can watch Verlander pitch in Sugar Land this Sunday. Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images.
Houston ace Justin Verlander is scheduled to make his first rehabilitation start at Triple-A Sugar Land Sunday.
The 41-year-old Verlander, who opened the season on the injured list with inflammation in his right shoulder, will throw a bullpen session Thursday in Houston before making his start this weekend.
Manager Joe Espada said he expects this to be the first of two minor league starts Verlander will make before he comes off the injured list.
“Just based on what I’ve seen and out of his live BPs and how he’s talking about how he feels, I think two starts... should be good enough,” Espada said.
Espada said they want Verlander to throw 70-75 pitches on Sunday and get up 85-90 in the following start.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner is in his second stint in Houston after rejoining the team in a trade with the New York Mets in July.
He went 13-8 with a 3.22 ERA in 27 starts for the Mets and Astros last season.
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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.