Cy Young Award Winner Justin Verlander Scratched From Start Saturday Due To Neck Issue
June 15, 2024
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The Houston Astros announced that starting pitcher Justin Verlander was scratched from his scheduled start today due to neck discomfort. The veteran right-hander said that his neck had been bothering him for a while now. He was due to start against the Detroit Tigers but right-hander Spencer Arrighetti will take his place in the game.
RHP Spencer Arrighetti will get the start for the Astros today in place of the originally scheduled starter RHP Justin Verlander, who was scratched for today’s game.
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 15, 2024
Verlander, 41, spoke with reporters following the news about him being scratched on Saturday.
“A couple weeks ago between starts, neck got a little tight on me,” Verlander said. “Been able to kind of navigate through it but talking to the trainers, the team, and with the couple of off days we had around this, we thought best to really try to get over the hump and hopefully, resolve this thing for good.”
The former American League MVP and three-time Cy Young Award winner missed the first few weeks of the season while recovering from a shoulder injury. He has seen an up-and-down season so far, allowing four runs in three of his last five starts. For the year, Verlander owns an ERA of 3.95 over 57.0 innings of work. He has struck out 51 batters and has posted a WHIP of 1.21.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 09: Justin Verlander #35 of the Houston Astros after hitting Kevin Pillar #12 of the Los Angeles Angels with a pitch in the fourth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on… ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 09: Justin Verlander #35 of the Houston Astros after hitting Kevin Pillar #12 of the Los Angeles Angels with a pitch in the fourth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 09, 2024 in Anaheim, California. Verlander was scratched from his start on Saturday.
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Verlander allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings across each of his past two starts. The former American League MVP, nine-time All-Star, and three-time Cy Young Award winner missed the first three weeks of the season while recovering from an offseason shoulder injury. Astros manager Joe Espada spoke about his ace being scratched before the game.
“He’s been actually dealing with this for like the last two weeks,” Astros manager Joe Espada said before Saturday’s game. “Trying to pitch through it and we just felt like it would be smart to take a break here, skip his start and try to get to the bottom of it.”
For now, the Astros will be in wait-and-see mode with Verlander. Especially with his advanced age, the team will likely be cautious in bringing him back to the mound and will wait until he feels fully healthy. He has seen multiple injuries pop up over the last few years, likely due to all the wear and tear on his body over the years. Houston currently owns a record of 32-38 on the season, sitting in third place within the American League West division. They will need Verlander back healthy if they want to make a run down the stretch, so being patient with the veteran makes the most sense.
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