All signs point to this
How recent developments could reshape Astros rotation in 2024 and beyond
Aug 20, 2024, 11:08 am
Justin Verlander is slated to start against Boston on Wednesday. Composite Getty Image.
Houston's Justin Verlander is scheduled to come off the injured list and start the finale of a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday.
“It's big getting JV on the mound. It's getting one of the best back in there,” manager Joe Espada said. “We know what he means. We know he’s part of this winning culture and getting him back is a big boost for our team, especially down the stretch.”
The 41-year-old ace hasn't pitched since June 9 because of stiffness in his neck. He made two minor league rehabilitation starts, last throwing four innings for Double-A Corpus Christi on Thursday.
Espada was asked if the three-time Cy Young Award winner would be on a pitch count since he threw just 57 pitches in his last rehabilitation assignment.
“We’ll see how the outing goes and how efficient he is,” Espada said. “I don’t want to put a number because he can surprise us. But we’re going to keep a close eye on his workload for sure.”
Verlander is 3-2 with a 3.95 ERA in 10 starts this season. His current stint on the injured list is his second this season after he opened the season on the shelf because of inflammation in his right shoulder.
The Astros just started a stretch of 18 games without an off day and Espada said they will use a six-man rotation at least until they get through that.
Houston has shaken off its early season woes and entered Tuesday's games a season-best 12 games over .500. The Astros lead AL West by five games over the second-place Mariners.
Do we have an update on Luis Garcia?
When Espada met with the media on Monday, he also said Garcia will not pitch for Houston this season.
Luis Garcia will not pitch for the Astros this season, Joe Espada said. Garcia will resume playing catch this weekend, but that is targeted toward getting him ready for 2025.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) August 19, 2024
The club's focus is to get him healthy for 2025. The team hoped both Lance McCullers Jr. and Garcia would be able to contribute in 2024, but both players dealt with setbacks.
Based on these results, it's hard to imagine Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy will pitch in 2025 as they both recover from Tommy John surgery. Verlander also missed the following season (2021) after having Tommy John surgery in 2020.
As we look ahead to the 2025 rotation, Verlander's contract is unlikely to vest (140 innings) making him a free agent along with Yusei Kikuchi. The rotation could look something like this:
Framber Valdez
Hunter Brown
Ronel Blanco
Spencer Arrighetti
Garcia, McCullers, Javier, and Urquidy will be working back from injury. Clearly, Garcia has the best chance to crack the rotation in 2025. We haven't seen McCullers pitch in a game since 2022.
With Urquidy set to be a free agent in 2026 and likely unavailable in 2025, we don't expect the Astros to offer him a contract in arbitration for the 2025 season. His days as an Astro seem to be finished.
In theory, the Astros could try to re-sign Verlander. We'll have to see how he finishes the season and if Jim Crane wants to roll the dice again on the future Hall of Famer.
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The Houston Astros wrapped up yet another series win this week, this time taking two of three from the struggling Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Despite missing several key players and a bullpen that wasn’t fully available, the Astros continued their recent run of success, pushing their record to 52-35.
Manager Joe Espada appeared to be playing the long game in the rubber match on Thursday. After Houston rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning, Espada stuck with reliever Jordan Weems instead of turning to his high-leverage arms. That decision, while frustrating to some fans hoping for the sweep, underscored the team’s cautious approach to workload management as they navigate a long season.
One bright spot continues to be rookie Cam Smith, who delivered again in the clutch with a two-run triple in the seventh inning on Thursday. Smith has been Houston’s most dependable bat with runners on base and is quickly settling into the cleanup role—a rarity for a first-year player but one he’s earned with his poise and production.
Astros cleanup hitter RBIs this season:
Cam Smith: 10 RBIs in 7 games
All others: 28 RBIs in 80 games
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) July 3, 2025
Off the field, the biggest storyline continues to be Yordan Alvarez’s injury. After reports surfaced that the slugger had experienced a setback in his return from a fractured hand, the team clarified that the issue is inflammation, not the fracture itself. Astros general manager Dana Brown said Alvarez received injections to address the irritation and is expected to rest for now. Encouragingly, the Astros say the fracture is no longer a concern, and while there’s still no definitive timeline for his return, the overall tone from the club was optimistic.
The transparency around Alvarez’s situation is part of a larger shift. After being criticized in recent seasons for vague injury updates, the Astros have begun issuing daily availability reports. It’s a move that signals the front office is trying to regain some trust with the media and fans after a stretch of frustrating ambiguity around player health.
Now, the Astros head to Los Angeles for a marquee matchup with the defending champion Dodgers. Friday’s opener will feature Lance McCullers Jr. making just his second start since returning from the injured list. McCullers gave up eight runs in his return against the Cubs and will be under the spotlight as he looks to settle back into form. Control will be the key, as walks have long been McCullers’ Achilles’ heel.
Saturday sets the stage for one of the most anticipated pitching matchups of the season: Framber Valdez versus Shohei Ohtani. With both teams fighting for positioning in their respective divisions, this weekend in LA should serve as a measuring stick—and perhaps a postseason preview.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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