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HOUSTON -- Justin Verlander's long-awaited season debut could come for the Astros this weekend against the Nationals in Washington, D.C., assuming his bullpen session Tuesday goes off without a hitch. Verlander threw four innings Saturday for Double-A Corpus Christi in his final Minor League rehab start and said Monday he

KANSAS CITY -- The Astros have placed left-hander Framber Valdez on the 15-day IL retroactive to April 6 after an examination in Houston revealed inflammation in his left elbow. Valdez, who was scheduled to start on Monday in Arlington, was sent back to Houston after reporting soreness in the elbow

ARLINGTON -- Despite giving up six earned runs and seven hits in three-plus innings in his first Minor League rehab start on Sunday afternoon with Triple-A Sugar Land, Astros pitcher Justin Verlander said he felt great physically after throwing 65 pitches against Las Vegas, the Triple-A affiliate of the A’s.

HOUSTON -- Astros pitcher Justin Verlander, who began the season on the injured list while he builds up his pitch count for the season, could be headed out on a Minor League rehab assignment soon. Verlander threw three innings and 52 pitches in a simulated game on Monday afternoon at

Justin Verlander threw his second live batting practice session in a week Tuesday, pitching two innings in Houston and coming out feeling good. Verlander, who will start the year on the injured list for the second straight season, faced Grae Kessinger, Jon Singleton and Corey Julks. The right-hander said he

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Astros pitcher Justin Verlander said Friday he emerged from his first live batting practice session of the spring feeling great about his progress as he inches closer to being able to get into games. Verlander, who has been slow to build up at camp this

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The news Monday that José Urquidy is likely to begin the season on the injured list after being diagnosed with a right forearm muscle strain has further put the squeeze on an Astros starting rotation that will already be without ace Justin Verlander when the

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Less than two weeks before the start of the regular season, the Astros’ starting pitching depth is a growing concern as veteran right-hander José Urquidy walked off the field after throwing 43 pitches in a Minor League game on Friday with a sore elbow. Astros

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Astros pitcher Justin Verlander, who will begin the season on the injured list while he continues to build up his pitch count, said on Friday that he’s “definitely getting close to facing hitters,” which he has yet to do since reporting to camp a couple

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Because he hasn’t progressed to the point where he can start facing hitters on the back fields, Astros pitcher Justin Verlander will have to start the season on the injured list. Manager Joe Espada made the announcement Tuesday after discussing it with Verlander and other

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A day after having a bullpen session, Astros right-hander Justin Verlander arrived at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches feeling great Wednesday morning before Houston's 6-1 win over the Marlins at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, according to manager Joe Espada. Verlander, 41, has

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Astros right-hander Justin Verlander has yet to pitch in an exhibition game because of right shoulder issues. However, he had another bullpen session on Tuesday morning without any problems. Verlander threw with more intensity and his delivery was consistent. He commanded his fastball and changeup

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- It’s still too soon to tell whether Astros ace Justin Verlander will be ready to pitch on Opening Day. Verlander reported to camp a couple of weeks behind schedule because of a shoulder issue that popped up just before the start of Spring Training. Verlander

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – It didn’t take long for the Astros to suffer their first bit of bad news at the start of Spring Training on Wednesday, when veteran right-hander Justin Verlander said a shoulder issue has put him behind his throwing schedule by a couple of weeks. Verlander

HOUSTON -- The Astros’ need to add a relief pitcher to their bullpen became magnified Tuesday after the club announced veteran right-hander Kendall Graveman was expected to miss the 2024 season following right shoulder labral surgery performed last week. Graveman, acquired by the Astros for the second time at last

HOUSTON -- One day after he missed the pregame introductions and went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series with what manager Dusty Baker called a virus, Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez left a couple of Rangers pitchers feeling ill. Alvarez continued his torrid 2023

HOUSTON -- Because of injuries, the Astros have had designated hitter Yordan Alvarez and second baseman Jose Altuve in the starting lineup together for only 13 of the team’s first 101 games and have still managed to stay on the heels of the Rangers in the American League West race.

HOUSTON -- Despite getting relatively good news about the severity of Jose Altuve's strained left oblique, the Astros placed the star second baseman on the 10-day injured list Thursday. The move is retroactive to Tuesday, which means Altuve would be eligible to be activated on July 14 -- the first

HOUSTON -- When Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. was rolled into the operating room Tuesday in Los Angeles, he wasn’t sure what to expect when he woke up. He knew his right flexor tendon muscle was in need of repair, but there was a chance he would have to undergo

HOUSTON -- The Astros will be without veteran right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. for the remainder of the regular season after he underwent surgery Tuesday to repair the flexor tendon in his right forearm and remove a “lima bean”-sized bone spur that had been causing some pain in the arm. The

The Astros, who were without star second baseman Jose Altuve for the first 43 games of the season, could be facing another extended stretch without a crucial bat. Houston GM Dana Brown said on SportsTalk 790 AM that Yordan Alvarez could miss at least four more weeks due to the

TORONTO -- Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez grabbed his right side and grimaced a few times while shuffling through the visiting clubhouse at Rogers Centre following a 3-2 loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday. The slugger left the game after his first-inning at-bat with right oblique discomfort. It’s unknown

MILWAUKEE -- Astros second baseman Jose Altuve was pulled from Tuesday’s 6-0 loss to the Brewers in the sixth inning because he was feeling sick, and really no one in the Houston dugout could have been feeling too good watching an eight-game winning streak come to a halt at American

SEATTLE -- Astros right-hander Luis Garcia will need Tommy John surgery and will miss the remainder of the regular season, general manager Dana Brown announced Friday. Garcia left Monday’s game against the Giants after only eight pitches because of pain in his right elbow. The loss of Garcia is a