3 Astros who could crack Opening Day roster after Justin Verlander injury update

The Houston Astros were dealt some unfortunate news as they found out that their ace, Justin Verlander, will begin the season on the IL with a shoulder injury. This doesn't come as a major surprise as we found out early this Spring that he was dealing with a shoulder issue, and sure enough, the 41-year-old will miss time.

The fact that Verlander has already been throwing bullpen sessions could mean that he won't be out too long, but what we do know is he won't be taking the ball on Opening Day against the Yankees.

While the Astros should be fine to tread water without Verlander thanks to their outstanding pitching depth, losing one of the best arms in the game will obviously hurt, especially when the AL West is as tough of a division as it is with the defending champion Rangers and another strong team in the Mariners.

With Verlander expected to begin the year on the sidelines, these three players have a chance to crack Houston's Opening Day roster.

3) Brandon Bielak looks like more of a lock to make the Astros Opening Day roster

Brandon Bielak already had the upper hand to make the Astros roster in some capacity for a couple of reasons. First, he's seen time in each of the last four seasons for the Astros, including throwing 80 innings last season. Second, he's out of options. This means for the Astros to send him down, they'd have to pass him through waivers.

Bielak's 2023 season was good enough for Houston to choose to hold onto him whether Verlander was set to begin the season healthy or not. Now that Verlander is out, Bielak feels like he's close to a lock at this point.

The 27-year-old wasn't with the team all year but when he was up, he was effective. In 15 appearances (13 starts) he had a 3,83 ERA in his 80 innings of work. His 5.19 FIP might suggest regression is coming, but Bielak has been mostly serviceable when Houston has relied on him.

Assuming J.P. France is healthy, Bielak will likely begin the year in the bullpen, but hey, a roster spot is a roster spot.