Nine-Time All-Star Left Off Houston Astros Playoff Roster
The MLB postseason kicks off on Tuesday, with teams like the New York Yankees, Cleveland Guardians, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies securing first-round byes. Among the many storylines, the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals face off in one of the American League Wild Card matchups, while the Houston Astros take on the Detroit Tigers in the other.
In a surprising twist, nine-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, and former Detroit Tiger, Justin Verlander, has been excluded from the Astros’ playoff roster, as reported by Chandler Rome of *The Athletic*. Rome shared on X that “Justin Verlander did not make the Astros’ Wild Card Series roster.”
Under the updated playoff format, the Wild Card round is a best-of-three series, with the first team to win two games advancing to the ALDS. Verlander, 41, has struggled this season, posting a 5-6 record and a 5.48 ERA.
However, should the Astros progress, Verlander could be considered for the NLDS roster. His last outing was on September 28 against the Guardians, where he allowed three runs on seven hits over six innings. Verlander started his MLB career with the Tigers, spending four seasons with them before being traded to the Astros in 2017. He has played for the Astros every year since, except for the 2023 season when he briefly joined the New York Mets before returning to Houston. The Astros and Tigers kick off their series on Tuesday, with Tarik Skubal pitching for Detroit and Framber Valdez starting for Houston.
