In a move that had Astros fans holding their collective breath, ace Justin Verlander was removed earlier than expected from his Spring Training start on Sunday. Following the game, manager Dusty Baker told the media that the early exit was due to some right triceps soreness and was precautionary, but that Verlander will undergo tests.
This is noteworthy for a couple of reasons. Verlander dealt with a sore groin early in Spring Training, so the fact that he’s got a second area of concern is a bit troubling. His velocity was down in Sunday’s start as well, as his fastball was sitting in the low 90s after he’d hit 97 in his first outing.