You don’t want to assume it’s related to the on-and-then-off-season, plus the very quick ramp-up, but pitcher injuries are going to get extra scrutiny right now.
And this is a major one:
Astros ace and reigning American League Cy Young winner Justin Verlander is out for the remainder of the season with an elbow injury, two people with knowledge of the situation tell the Chronicle – https://t.co/oqbLvn4mLi
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 26, 2020
In a shortened season, it won’t take a total arm blowout to end your season, but since the season just started, this must nevertheless be a pretty serious injury for the 37-year-old righty.
Without Verlander, the Astros’ Gerrit-Cole-thinned rotation gets thinned out even more, though they’re still going to be a favorite to make the very expanded postseason in the AL.
UPDATE: The Astros aren’t saying the season is over yet:
Astros manager Dusty Baker says that Justin Verlander is shut down "for a couple of weeks" with a forearm strain.
"He's shut down for a couple weeks and we'll reevaluate after that time."
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 26, 2020
Of course, because the season is so short, it won’t take much of a shut down beyond those two weeks to put his return very deep into the season, if he returns at all (as we know with Jose Quintana).
Also, of course a Dusty Baker pitcher tried to throw when he was feeling something:
Dusty Baker: Still Dusty Baker. https://t.co/2Idvhv0Tyl
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) July 26, 2020