The Houston Astros made the decision to exclude three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander from their roster for the AL Wild Card Series against Detroit. Verlander, who struggled in his return after a neck injury, posted a 9.26 ERA in five September starts. Despite this, Astros manager Joe Espada expressed that Verlander could potentially join the roster for future rounds if the team advances.
On the other hand, injured slugger Yordan Alvarez was included in the roster. Alvarez, who missed the end of the regular season due to a right knee sprain, boasts an impressive postseason track record with a .295 batting average, 12 homers, and a .949 OPS in 58 games.
