What It Means:

There doesn't seem to be too much concern regarding Verlander's current shoulder issue, but his status will still be worth monitoring as pitchers ramp up their work over the next month. The Astros will need the soon-to-be-41-year-old healthy this season as they push for another playoff berth, but are also dealing with injuries to multiple other starters as the season approaches.

Verlander's performance fell off a bit from his Cy Young award-winning 2022 season, but the veteran ace still played to a high level last year. He pitched to a 3.22 ERA with a 1.133 WHIP and 8 K/9, but picked it up after rejoining the Astros at the trade deadline; he walked just 14 batters in 11 starts for Houston. If he is healthy and returns to his 2022 form, Verlander could be a good value pick in the middle rounds of 2024 redraft leagues.