Astros get mixed bag of Justin Verlander, Jose Urquidy injury updates before Opening Day

The Houston Astros received injury updates on starting pitchers Justin Verlander and Jose Urquidy Monday, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

“José Urquidy has a forearm strain and will begin the season on the injured list, Joe Espada said. Asked about the status of Urquidy’s UCL, Espada said the only information he has is that it’s a forearm strain,” Rome wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

It goes without saying, but the Urquidy injury update is far from ideal. Verlander and Lance McCullers Jr. are battling injuries as well, so Houston’s pitching rotation has question marks. The Astros have been linked to Blake Snell in free agency, but a deal has yet to come to fruition as of this story’s publication.

As for Verlander, manager Joe Espada said the future Hall-of-Famer will face hitters within the “next day or two,” per Rome.

More to come on this story.