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  • Nursing neck issue
    Verlander was scratched from his start Saturday versus the Tigers due to neck discomfort, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: Verlander was geared up to face his former team Saturday, but he'll now likely have to have his turn in the rotation skipped completely as a result of the neck issue. With Sunday's scheduled starter Spencer Arrighetti now pushed up to toe the rubber Saturday, Houston will likely have to look to an option off their major-league roster to fill in for the series finale. Left-hander Eric Lauer is with Triple-A Sugar Land and he could be an option to be called up Sunday. In the meantime, it's unclear if Verlander's injury will require a stint on the injured list or not, but the 41-year-old's next opportunity to return to the mound will be next weekend in Baltimore at the soonest. Rotowire.com Today, 9:34 am
     
  • Justin Verlander scratched due to neck discomfort
    Justin Verlander was scratched from Saturday’s start against the Tigers due to neck discomfort.

    Advice: No word yet on the severity of the neck ailment that led to Verlander being scratched from a highly-anticipated outing against his former team, but Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters they don’t believe it’s an injured list situation. Espada added that the 41-year-old veteran righty has been pitching through neck soreness for the last two or three weeks, which certainly helps explain his recent struggles. It’ll be rookie Spencer Arrighetti taking the ball in his place. There should be an additional update on his status at some point this weekend. He’ll presumably undergo some additional testing to determine the extent of the lingering issue. Stay tuned. Rotoworld Today, 9:33 am
     
  • Justin Verlander scratched from start vs. Tigers
    Justin Verlander has been scratched from Saturday’s start against the Tigers.

    Advice: Uh-oh. No word yet on the reason for Verlander being scratched from a highly-anticipated outing against his former team. However, it’s worth noting that the 41-year-old veteran has struggled in each of his last two outings. It’ll be rookie Spencer Arrighetti taking the ball in his place. There should be an additional update on his status shortly. Rotoworld Today, 9:06 am
     
  • Scratched from start
    Verlander (undisclosed) will no longer start Saturday's contest against the Tigers, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

    Advice: Verlander was set to return to the mound Saturday, but he has now been scratched for an undisclosed reason. More information on his status will likely be provided ahead of the contest, but Spencer Arrighetti will now toe the rubber for the Astros against Detroit. Arrighetti was originally expected to start Sunday's series finale, so Houston may need to find a fill-in option if Verlander is sidelined with an injury. Rotowire.com Today, 9:00 am
     
  • Serves up homer
    Bednar allowed one earned run on one hit while striking out one Friday against the Rockies.

    Advice: Bednar was called upon to preserve a 5-1 lead in the ninth inning. He retired the first two batters he faced without issue but then served up a solo home run to Charlie Blackmon. Bednar has now given up a home run in consecutive appearances, though the Pirates still won on both occasions. Rotowire.com Today, 7:09 am
     
  • Smashes homer in win
    Garver went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run and two walks in Friday's 3-2 win over the Rangers.

    Advice: Garver is up to eight homers this season, and he's hit three of them over his last eight games. In that stretch, he's batting .250 (6-for-24) with eight RBI and two doubles. It's encouraging to see more power out of the 33-year-old -- he went 18 games without a homer between May 13 and June 5. Garver is slashing a poor .176/.300/.352 across 230 plate appearances this season, though he's added 25 RBI, 23 runs scored and 10 doubles while seeing fairly steady playing time at designated hitter. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 10:34 pm
     
  • Alexis Díaz allows four to reach in earning save
    Alexis Díaz recorded his 15th save despite allowing two runs — one earned — in the ninth Friday versus the Brewers.

    Advice: Díaz survived yet again after allowing three hits and walking a batter in a sloppy ninth inning. He’ll probably be available Saturday, but if not, the save chance could go to Lucas Sims or Fernando Cruz. Rotoworld Yesterday, 10:24 pm
     
  • Mitch Garver connects on two-run homer in win
    Mitch Garver hit a two-run homer to help the Mariners to a 3-2 win over the Rangers on Friday.

    Advice: Garver tied the game at 2-2 in the first inning with a blast that scored J-Rod in the first inning. The veteran backstop/DH has been swinging the bat much better as of late, and he’s now homered eight times with 25 RBI. Garver’s slash of .176/.300/.352 isn’t aesthetically pleasing, but again, those numbers aren’t indicative of the last few weeks. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:39 pm
     
  • Escapes with save
    Diaz allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk Friday while earning a save over Milwaukee.

    Advice: Diaz was tasked with holding the 6-3 lead in the ninth inning Friday and ran into some trouble. He walked in a run after an error loaded the bases and allowed what would've been the game-tying hit if not for Will Benson throwing out Jake Bauers at home. Diaz has converted eight straight saves and 15 of his 17 chances this season. Despite his relative success in those situations, his ERA is up to 5.47 with a lackluster 27:19 K:BB through 26.1 innings. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 9:14 pm