Justin Verlander left the Astros' wild-card squad against the Detroit Tigers

The former Tigers legend was left off the Houston Astros' wild-card roster for the three-game series against Detroit. Houston chose to draft 14 position players and 11 pitchers, with Framber Valdez, Yusei Kukuchi, Hunter Brown and Spencer Arreghetti being the potential starting pitcher options.

Valdez is Houston's starter for Game 1 on Tuesday. In 2024, he was 15-7 with a 2.91 ERA.

Verlander has struggled since returning from the injured list in August due to neck stiffness. Since leaving Illinois, he posted an 8.10 ERA in seven starts. He will miss the first and possibly only opportunity to face his former team in the playoffs.

THROW BACK: Tigers and Astros meet in the playoffs, seven years after trading blockbuster Justin Verlander

Other important injury news for Houston is that slugger Yordan Alvarez is healthy and in the lineup for Game 1. He had been out since Spet. 22 with a right knee sprain but will bat at second as the designated hitter. He hit .308 with 35 home runs in 147 games that season.