Astros to delve into pitching depth in series finale vs. Tigers
The Houston Astros scratched veteran right-hander Justin Verlander from his scheduled start on Saturday, continuing the season-long injury issues with their rotation. Verlander has experienced neck discomfort over the past couple of weeks. The Astros decided that skipping his turn in the rotation might provide him a path to recovery. Houston fell 13-5 to the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, squaring that three-game series and setting up the rubber match on Sunday afternoon.
The Houston Astros scratched veteran right-hander Justin Verlander from his scheduled start on Saturday, continuing the season-long injury issues with their rotation. Verlander has experienced neck discomfort over the past couple of weeks. The Astros decided that skipping his turn in the rotation might provide him a path to recovery. Houston fell 13-5 to the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, squaring that three-game series and setting up the rubber match on Sunday afternoon.
The Astros have lost starters Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy to season-ending elbow surgeries. Javier initially landed on the injured list with neck discomfort before his elbow woes. “It’s not ideal,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “You don’t want to hear any of your players having pain anywhere. I’m not going to get into if it’s the same trajectory as Javier. We’re going to let JV let us know how he feels, and we’ll just deal day to day.” Injuries to starters have left the Astros’ depth virtually nonexistent. Losing Verlander to the IL or for any prolonged stretch could prove cataclysmic.
“It’s tough because of the starters who have gone down for us and how every game means more for us right now because of the position that we are in,” Espada said. “But I do still feel like we do have some depth. But it’s just not what you want to hear right now during this stretch.” While the Astros opted not to name a starter for Sunday, right-hander Ronel Blanco (6-2, 2.67 ERA) could take the mound on regular rest. He snapped a two-start losing streak against the San Francisco Giants on
Tuesday after allowing one run on three hits and one walk with a season high-tying eight strikeouts over six innings in the Astros’ 3-1 road win. Before his skid, Blanco was 5-0 with a 1.99 ERA. Blanco has made two career relief appearances against the Tigers. He has worked three scoreless innings, allowing two hits while posting three strikeouts without recording a decision.
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