Astros News: Verlander rehab update, struggling reliever released, Yusei Kikuchi

The Houston Astros have seemingly found their stride once again. After taking down the Rays on Tuesday night, the Astros find themselves winners of their last seven games and with a 1.5 game cushion in the AL West. Considering where Houston was after the first couple of months of the 2024 season, fans will happily take it.

On top of the grand news of "Astros wins good," there have also been promising developments for Houston on multiple fronts that bode extremely well for their fortunes moving forwardroku.

Astros News: Justin Verlander on track for rehab start on Thursday

Houston has been forced to really patch their starting rotation together for a while now. Season-ending injuries to Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy as well as prolonged absences from Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis Garcia have played a big role in that, but the elephant in the room for a while has been the status of Justin Verlander's neck injury.

For many weeks, Verlander's recovery has been shrouded in mystery as the exact nature of the ailment beyond "his neck hurts" hasn't even been revealed. However, we did get promising news over the weekend that his first rehab start went well. In even better news, Verlander's second rehab start will happen, barring a catastrophe, on Thursday. Assuming that goes well, it is likely that his next start after that will be with the big league squad.

Astros News: Houston releases Dylan Coleman after he was Dezenzo roster casualty

Not every trade works out, and in the case of the Astros' trade for Dylan Coleman last offseason the cost wasn't all that much. Houston gave up a lower-level prospect in the off chance that Coleman panned out and could give their bullpen a bit of a boost.

Unfortunately, things just didn't work out. Coleman only made a single appearance in the big leagues in 2024 with the Astros. And after he posted a 6.50 ERA in 36 appearances at Triple-A this season, the Astros DFAed Coleman to make room for Zach Dezenzo's call-up and he was finally released on Wednesday.

Astros News: Yusei Kikuchi continuing to validate Houston's trade deadline aggression

Houston understandably took a lot of heat when they sent multiple talented prospects to Toronto at the trade deadline for a rental in Yusei Kikuchi. Even if Kikuchi's adjustments with the Astros stick, the price that the Astros paid for just a couple months of him still feels like a significant overpay unless the guys they sent to the Blue Jays are much worse than many think they are.

However, Kikuchi is at least making that trade look a lot more palatable so far as he is shoving in the Astros rotation. After throwing 5.2 innings of one-run ball against the Rays on Tuesday, Kikuchi has posted a 2.70 ERA with 24 strikeouts and just six walks in 16 2/3 innings of work. Given his immediate success with Houston, it is fair to wonder what the heck the Blue Jays' coaching staff was thinking with their handling of Kikuchi there.

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