Justin Verlander's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) will throw another bullpen session on Tuesday with more intensity to move him forward in his rehab, according to manager Joe Espada. Verlander came into spring training behind the team's other pitchers after his right shoulder didn't bounce back properly in the offseason, but he's been throwing low-intensity bullpen sessions in camp, consisting of only fastballs. The Astros haven't ruled the 41-year-old out for the start of the regular season, but it seems more likely than not that he'll open the year on the injured list. Even if Verlander is ready for Opening Day at the end of March, fantasy managers should expect the future Hall of Famer to miss some time at some point in 2024 due to injury. He's a poor bet to stay healthy all year at his age and is no longer the fantasy ace that he once was.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (shoulder) threw a bullpen session on Saturday, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Verlander hasn't progressed to facing live batters yet, but he is on track and still figures to be ready for Opening Day. The veteran remains a key piece of Houston's entering his age-41 season, just one year removed from a campaign in which he went 13-8 through 27 starts with the Mets and Astros. He was effective at retiring batters once again last year, tallying 7.98 K/9 and 2.49 BB/9 while posting a 3.85 FIP. Barring any sort of injury setback, Verlander continues to be an appealing fantasy baseball option for 2024.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander's (shoulder) bullpen session went well on Wednesday. "I am encouraged where he's at right now," according to manager Joe Espada. Verlander is behind the other pitchers at spring training after having a setback with his right shoulder during the offseason. The good news, though, is that the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer continues to throw. However, it remains to be seen if he'll need to open the 2024 season on the injured list. It's been amazing to see how well the three-time All-Star has pitched late in his career, but fantasy managers should expect more decline from Verlander this year, as well as more time missed due to injury. But when he's healthy, Verlander still has the ability to be a decent No. 3/4 fantasy starter.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) "walked in today feeling good about how the arm feels" after throwing off a mound on Thursday in spring training. Verlander wasn't going full speed on Thursday, but it's a positive sign regardless as he looks to bounce back after having a setback with his right shoulder this offseason. The 40-year-old is a bit behind the other pitchers and probably isn't going to be ready for the start of Grapefruit League action, but as long as he doesn't have any further setbacks, he could still be ready for Opening Day. The 40-year-old three-time Cy Young winner is an extreme injury risk at this point in his career and is no longer a fantasy ace. He'll even be somewhat risky as a No. 3 starter for fantasy rotations since it would be more of a surprise if he didn't miss time due to injury in 2024.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) said he's a couple weeks behind scheduled and his timetable is to be determined right now. "When I first started playing catch I usually shut it down for a while and this time when I shut it down and picked a ball back up, my shoulder didn't feel so great so I kind of had to take a step back," Verlander said. It's not what you want to hear from a 40-year-old pitcher, although right now it's still not too big of a concern, especially considering that Verlander missed the first five weeks of the 2023 season before going 13-8 with a 3.22 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 144 strikeouts during the regular season. We'll keep a close eye on the three-time Cy Young winner this spring. Even if he's ready to go by Opening Day, fantasy managers must come to grips with the fact that Verlander is an increased health risk at his age.