Yordan Álvarez and Chas McCormick are officially part of the Houston Astros’ active roster for the wild-card playoff series against the Detroit Tigers. Their return comes after both players faced injuries that sidelined them toward the end of the regular season.
Chas McCormick had been recovering from a small fracture in his right hand, an injury sustained on September 10. Meanwhile, Yordan Álvarez is set to make his comeback in Game 1 of the series, batting second as the designated hitter, after dealing with a right knee sprain since September 22.
However, the Astros will be without three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander. The veteran right-hander, at 41 years old, struggled upon his return following a nearly two-month absence due to a neck injury sustained earlier this summer.
In September, Verlander posted a disappointing 2-2 record with a 9.26 ERA over five starts, which ultimately led to his exclusion from the playoff roster.
Astros bench coach Joe Espada noted that Verlander handled the news with professionalism and indicated that there remains a possibility for him to join the roster if the team advances further in the postseason.
“JV understands how well some of our starters have performed, including some of our younger players. He pitched well against Cleveland,” Espada remarked. “I don’t want us to overlook JV for the rest of the postseason,” he added, hinting at Verlander’s potential contributions if given the opportunity.
