It’s been an incredible year for future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander after missing all of the 2021 season with Tommy John surgery. But for the first time in his career-defining season, the fireballer is going to face some adversity.
On Sunday, Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker decided to pull Verlander early from his start with some calf discomfort. Prior to his departure, Verlander struck out six of his 12 batters faced through three scoreless innings.
Today, the Astros announced that they were placing Verlander on the 15-day IL with the right calf issue.
Prior to the IL stint, Verlander was the far-and-away favorite to take home the AL Cy Young Award. And still, he’s heavily favored to take home the award, but the odds have moved slightly.
Justin Verlander Cy Young Odds Following Calf Injury
Before suffering the injury, Verlander was a -250 favorite to take home the Cy Young. But now, his odds have changed to -195. Check out the full AL Cy Young odds, per FanDuel:
- Justin Verlander: -195
- Dylan Cease: +350
- Shane McClanahan: +450
- Shohei Ohtani: +3500
- Framber Valdez: +6000
- Alek Manoah: +8000
As it stands, Verlander leads all American League pitchers in wins (16), ERA (1.84), and WHIP (0.86) and is second to Valdez in quality starts with 19 on the season.
Given their sizable lead in the division, the Astros may very well opt for caution with Verlander, with the goal of getting him back to a clear 100% before the postseason begins.
Even if Verlander were to miss the remainder of the 2022 MLB season, it would likely take an incredibly strong finish from Dylan Cease or Shane McClanahan to steal the AL Cy Young from his grasp.
