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Plus, win prizes by voting for Alvarez and Altuve in All-Star Ballot Finals
July 06, 2022
Things couldn't be going much better this season for Astros ace Justin Verlander in his return from Tommy John surgery. As the season hits the midway point, Verlander is in the hunt for another American League Cy Young Award, going 10-3 with a 2.03 ERA and 0.83 WHIP through 15 starts.
After throwing six innings combined in 2020 and '21, Verlander is at 97 1/3 innings this season, which is why the Astros have pushed his next starting assignment back a few days. Verlander, who last pitched June 29 against the Mets in New York, will make his next start in Thursday's series finale against the Royals. That's seven days of rest.
Verlander still feels fine, but he knows the Astros could be poised for another deep playoff run and he wants to put himself in the best position physically to pitch into October.
"Just trying to be smart," Verlander said. "Just trying to listen to doctors and everybody and take as much as time as I can and try not to push things. I think at the beginning of the year, I told everybody who's part of the team I'm going to be honest with you guys and they're going to be honest with me and everybody thinks this is a time to not try to push it."
Verlander's workload this year has been more than he anticipated, but for good reasons. He's thrown at least six innings in all but three starts, and at least seven innings eight times. He ranks eighth in innings pitched in the AL. With fellow right-hander Jake Odorizzi coming off the injured list -- he pitched Monday against the Royals -- the Astros have six starters and some wiggle room with Verlander.
The 39-year-old prefers to pitch every fifth day, but he's managed to do it only four times this year because the team was being cautious with him early in the season. The Astros also used a six-man rotation for much of May during a 34-day stretch with one off-day. Verlander would like to return to pitching on regular rest at some point.
"I plan on getting there," he said. "I think I did it three or four times in the first half. The only thing I haven't done is gone repetitious five days, which we were considering before this break. But with [Odorizzi] coming back, we all talked about it and it made too much sense to not do that."
Verlander has not decided yet, though, if he will pitch in the July 19 All-Star Game in Los Angeles, if he's selected, which is almost a certainty. Verlander has made eight All-Star teams in his career, including two with the Astros (2018 and '19).
VOTE ALVAREZ, ALTUVE AND WIN PRIZES
By casting votes for second baseman Jose Altuve and designated hitter Yordan Alvarez in the All-Star Ballot Finals, fans have a chance to win four field box tickets to any remaining Astros regular-season game (with the exception of games against the Red Sox and Yankees) and a baseball signed by Altuve.
Each vote counts as one entry into the sweepstakes, so the more you vote, the better your chances to win. You must have the Astros selected as your favorite team to be entered into the drawing.
Altuve is a finalist at second base in the AL with Santiago Espinal of the Blue Jays and is looking to be elected to his eighth All-Star Game, while Alvarez is a finalist at designated hitter with Shohei Ohtani of the Angels and would be a first-time All-Star.
Fans can vote daily for the All-Star Game at mlb.com/vote. Voting ends on Friday at 1 p.m. CT.
DUSTY QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"He's in there relaxing like he's on the beach with Snoop Dogg or something, it looks like. He's smiling and just chilling." -- Dusty Baker, on June 30 while waiting for Alvarez to clear concussion protocols.
ON THE FARM
Astros pitching prospect Forrest Whitley, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Astros' No. 4 prospect, made his first rehab start on Monday night at Triple-A Sugar Land and gave up five hits, two walks and six earned runs in 2 2/3 innings against El Paso. He threw 67 pitches.
"Obviously a pretty rough one," Whitley told the Houston Chronicle. "Could have limited the base on balls, was having trouble finding the fastball. But I kind of know with this [Tommy John surgery rehab] process, not everything is going to be perfect. I thought I made good pitches, but in the times I needed them the most, just kind of left them over the plate."
Whitley, the No. 17 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, had Tommy John surgery in March 2021. He returned to action on June 15 with a game at the Astros' facility in Florida and made two starts at Single-A Fayetteville before being moved to Sugar Land.
TRIVIA
Alvarez hit his 24th home run on Monday in the Astros' 79th game, giving him a shot to break the Astros' single-season record of 47. Who holds that record?
A.) Jeff Bagwell
B.) Lance Berkman
C.) Richard Hidalgo
D.) Jimmy Wynn
THIS WEEK IN ASTROS HISTORY
July 9, 1976
Larry Dierker threw the fifth no-hitter in franchise history in a 6-0 win over the Expos before 12,511 at the Astrodome. Dierker walked four batters, struck out eight and even drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Dierker capped the no-hitter by striking out Pepe Mangual and Jim Lyttle in the ninth before getting Mike Jorgenson to ground out to first baseman Bob Watson for the final out.
"I never expected to throw a no-hitter at that point in my career, especially after the injuries and arm problems," Dierker told reporters after the game. "It really was a gift from God."
That was one of 25 career shutouts for Dierker, which remains the franchise record. He also holds the franchise record for games started (320) and complete games (106).
TRIVIA ANSWER
A. Jeff Bagwell
Bagwell bashed a career-high 47 homers in 2000 -- the first year of Minute Maid Park (then Enron Field). Lance Berkman (42 homers in 2002 and 45 homers in '06) made runs at Bagwell's record, but Alvarez will have a chance to break it if he stays healthy.
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