Houston right-hander Justin Verlander is set to throw another bullpen session on Saturday as he works his way back from neck discomfort that placed him on the injured list a month ago. Houston manager Joe Espada announced that Verlander and Luis Garcia are expected to throw before the second game of the Astros’ series in Seattle. The 41-year-old Verlander, who has been sidelined since June 9, is anticipated to throw around 25 pitches, with the aim of increasing the intensity during this session.
“Last time he threw, he used all of his pitches, so hopefully there will be more intensity behind them this time,” Espada said. Verlander has a 3-2 record with a 3.95 ERA in 10 starts this season for Houston. He missed the first 20 games of the season due to inflammation in his right shoulder before making his debut on April 19.
Garcia is still in recovery from Tommy John surgery. Although he missed a scheduled bullpen session last week, Espada did not view it as a setback at the time. Garcia underwent surgery in May 2023.
Espada also reported that outfielder Kyle Tucker is making progress in his recovery from a right shin contusion but needs to start doing more running. Tucker has been throwing, hitting, and performing some limited field drills during the Astros’ workout in Seattle on Thursday, but he needs to reach a point where he can handle more movement. Tucker has been on the injured list since June 4.
“We need to get him running and putting weight on that leg. He’s hitting and throwing, but we’re not quite ready to let him loose on the bases,” Espada said.
Additionally, Houston catcher Victor Caratini was transferred to Double-A Corpus Christi on Friday as part of his rehab assignment from a hip flexor strain. Caratini could rejoin the Astros sometime next week.