Justin Verlander J.P. France Behind Schedule Due To Shoulder Issue

Astros right-hander is a few weeks behind his normal Spring Training schedule due to a shoulder i sue. He spoke to members of the media about it today, with Brian McTaggart of MLB.com relaying of the veteran discu sing the situation. General manager Dana Brown also relayed that righty is dealing with shoulder inflammation, though Brown isnt especially worried since both pitchers are playing catch. If they were shut down, it would be more concerning, Brown said, per . Im a little bit behind schedule right now, had a little hiccup early on thats resolved itself but I have to be really cautious with how Im building up, Verlander said. I gue s my body doesnt respond the same at 40 as it does at 25. So, you know, Im a couple weeks behind. When asked to elaborate on the hiccup, he continued: When I first started playing catch, I usually shut it down for a while. This time, when I shut it down and picked the ball back up, my shoulder didnt feel so great, so kind of had to take a step back and kind of just really be diligent about my buildup. When asked about Opening Day, he said it would depend on how things go in the next few weeks. It seems like the concern is fairly minor at this point, though its le s than ideal for the club that a couple members of its rotation mix are already dealing with i sues just as camp is opening. The Astros are already set to open the season with and on the injured list, with both of Justin Anderson Jersey those pitchers having undergone significant surgeries last year. Brown told MLB Network Radio earlier this week that those two guys are on track for returns in the second half, per . Without McCullers or Garca, Houstons rotation mix would project to be Verlander, , and , with one spot available for someone like France, or . If Verlander and/or France end up requiring a stint on the injured list to start the year, everyone would be moved up a peg or two on the chart. Verlander, who turns 41 next week, also dealt with a shoulder i sue last spring while with the Mets. At the end of March, he was placed on the IL with a teres major strain and didnt make his season debut until May. He was ultimately able to make 27 starts on the year between the Mets and Astros after a midseason trade, but with diminished stuff from his 2022 Cy Young-winning year. His ERA went from 1.75 to 3.22 and his strikeout rate dropped from 27.8% to 21.5% with the velo on all his pitches slightly lower as well. He did seem to get better as the season went along, however, with a 3.60 ERA and 19.7% strikeout rate in the first half compared to a 2.92 ERA and 23% strikeout rate in the second. France, 29 in April, to sed 136 1/3 innings last year with a 3.83 ERA, 17.4% strikeout rate, 8.1% walk rate and 42.8% ground ball rate. Hes obviously le s e sential to the clubs rotation than Verlander, not even guaranteed a roster spot since he has options. But every club has to deal with injuries and reach into their depth at some point during the year. He would have been a candidate to step up if Verlander needed to mi s time but that could be in jeopardy if France is himself delayed. Brown has frequently stated that hes always looking to add pitching and made similar comments today, with relayed by McTaggart. Im always in the busine s of trying to add starter depth. I think the season, like I said before, its 162 games. If you get a situation where you can trade for a starter or if you can sign a starter, I think you should do it if it makes sense budget wise and all that. But at the end of the day, Im always in the market for pitching. Ive said that since day one. I dont think you can have enough pitching in 162 games. The Astros are in unprecedented territory in terms of their payroll. Per , their highest Opening Day payroll was $188MM in 2021. pegs them at $240MM for this year and also has their competitive balance tax figure at $255MM. They have never paid the tax before, as they only time they went over was in 2020, when the payments were waived in the shortened season. This years line is $237MM, so theyre already well over. If the club decides they need reinforcements, there are plenty of names still available in free agency. That includes marquee guys like and but also more affordable names like , and many more. Given the clubs payroll and the minor nature of the injuries, it doesnt seem likely that the club will suddenly go out and splurge, but it will be a situation worth monitoring if another pitcher suffers an injury or a setback is suffered by Verlander or France. Despite Browns a sertion that hes always looking for starting depth, they havent signed any veterans to minor league deals so could perhaps look to add some non-roster guys in the coming days. Zhaire Smith Jersey