Astros place Verlander on IL with neck discomfort

The Houston Astros announced Tuesday that they placed pitcher Justin Verlander on the IL with neck discomfort.

"We're just going to give him some time with no throw and see if we can get some of that neck discomfort, stiffness, out of there before he starts throwing again," Astros manager Joe Espada told the Houston Chronicle's Matt Kawahara.

Verlander was scratched from his scheduled start Saturday against the Tigers and has not pitched since. Espada said it will be "day to day" as to when Verlander will resume throwing.

The Astros recalled pitcher Nick Hernandez in a corresponding move.

This latest IL stint is the second for Verlander this season. The 41-year-old missed the first few weeks with a shoulder injury suffered during spring training.

The three-time CY Young winner has pitched to a 3.95 ERA and 1.21 WHIP across 57 innings in 2023.

Verlander joins a long list of Astros starting pitchers on the IL, including Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers Jr., and José Urquidy. Star outfielder Kyle Tucker also remains sidelined.