Justin Verlander DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander made his return to the mound against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. The 41-year-old looked sharp on the mound considering he has been sidelined the last two and a half months due to a neck issue. Verlander struck out six batters while allowing four hits and two runs over six innings of work. That is an extremely nice outing for a pitcher that hasn't thrown in a big league game since early June. The right-hander still appears to have something left in the tank. He'll take a 3.92 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 57/18 K/BB ratio into his next matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies. Fantasy managers looking for pitching help should check to see if Verlander is available.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (neck) is currently scheduled to take the ball against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. The 41-year-old has been sidelined since mid-June due to a neck issue. Verlander looked good during his most recent rehab start at Double-A Corpus Christi on Thursday. It sounds like Verlander is ready to return after his bullpen session on Sunday went well. He holds a 3.95 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, with 51 strikeouts across 10 starts this season. Verlander isn't the same pitcher he once was, but he should still be an asset in most fantasy formats.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (neck) will make his next rehab assignment start later this week either at Triple-A Sugar Land or Double-A Corpus Christi. Verlander threw 52 pitches over three innings in a start for Sugar Land against El Paso on Saturday. The veteran right-hander allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out three. "He bounced back well," manager Joe Espada said. If all goes well in his next minor-league rehab appearance, Verlander should be able to rejoin Houston's rotation by the middle of next week. Before going on the injured list due to neck stiffness, he went 3-2 with a respectable 3.95 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with 51 strikeouts and 17 walks in 10 starts (57 innings) for the Astros in 2024.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (neck) will make a minor-league rehab start at Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday at Constellation Field. Verlander is set to start his rehab assignment after throwing a 37-pitch, two-inning simulated game on Sunday and a successful bullpen session on Wednesday. Because he's been on the injured list since the middle of June, the 41-year-old future Hall of Fame will likely require more than one rehab start to build up his arm after recovering from a neck injury. But barring a setback in the minors, Verlander should be ready to rejoin Houston's starting rotation before the end of August. The three-time Cy Young winner no longer has a strikeout rate above 30% like he did in his prime, but he can still be dominant at times in the right matchups. Before hurting his neck, he had gone 3-2 with a 3.95 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 10 starts (57 innings).

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (neck) will throw one final bullpen session ahead of Wednesday's game against the division-rival Texas Rangers. If all goes well, he will have a minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Sugar Land at some point this weekend. Verlander threw 37 pitches in two simulated innings on Sunday morning, and he will likely need two rehab outings before rejoining Houston's rotation. Fantasy managers can expect to get the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer back in the mix sometime in the middle of August. Before going on the shelf due to neck stiffness, Verlander went 3-2 with a serviceable 3.95 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with 51 strikeouts and 17 walks in 10 starts (57 innings) for the Astros in 2024.