Barring a significant improvement in his final regular season start or another unforeseen development, it is certainly possible that we just watched Justin Verlander’s last start as an Astro at Minute Maid Park. Even a spot on the postseason roster remains uncertain, if not unlikely, especially after his disappointing performance against the Angels. Six runs in 4 2⁄3 innings on the heels of multiple suboptimal starts in recent weeks isn’t exactly a confidence builder for either pitcher or team.
We’ve all known for a while that Verlander’s skills have eroded. That isn’t an earth-shattering development.