Sunday night was a low point in a string of bad outings for the Houston Astros' most decorated starting pitcher.
On Sunday Night Baseball against the Houston Astros, 41-year-old Justin Verlander imploded. He surrendered eight earned runs, seven of them coming on Pavin Smith home runs, while failing to strike out a batter in three innings of work.
Verlander had already been struggling this season, especially after returning from a neck injury in mid-August. But Sunday was eye-opening, proof positive that the legendary righty isn't close to the superstar he once was right now.
Heading into the final three weeks of the regular season, the Astros are lucky enough to have their spot in the postseason close to secure. But when they get there, it's possible the three-time Cy Young award winner might not have a spot on the roster.
Astros beat reporter Chandler Rome of The Athletic made the case on Monday that Houston could leave Verlander off the playoff roster altogether if he doesn't show drastic improvement in the final few weeks.
"Continued dominance from Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown and Yusei Kikuchi have proved Houston can survive without Verlander," Rome said. "Youngsters Ronel Blanco and Spencer Arrighetti have outperformed him, even if both are entering uncharted territory with their workloads. Stowing them in an October bullpen should suit them well."
"If Verlander is not a traditional starter and maintains this level of performance, finding a place for him on this postseason pitching staff is almost impossible."
In four starts since his return, Verlander has a 9.38 ERA in 17 2/3 innings. He has allowed 26 hits in that time frame, with opposing batters hitting .346 against him.
Overall, Verlander's 5.30 season ERA is on track to be the highest of any season in his career in which he pitched more than two games.
If the legendary righty is left off the postseason roster, he'll still be valuable in the dugout as an extra pitching coach of sorts. But it's reasonable to ask if he'll consider retirement in the offseason.
However they go, Verlander's final few outings of the season will be extremely intriguing. Astros fans could be seeing the end of a fabled career playing out this September.
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