Justin Verlander’s latest catastrophic start is the final straw for Astros fans

The Houston Astros can't catch a break.

Justin Verlander, who returned from a neck injury less than a month ago, has been on a considerable downward slide in recent weeks. Once the most dominant starter in baseball, the 41-year-old no longer appears to be a lock for Houston's postseason rotation.

It's hard to imagine the Astros voluntarily shelving Verlander, but the numbers don't lie. Right now, he's just not up to par.

Verlander was particularly poor in Sunday's bout with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He managed three innings and 75 pitches before Joe Espada yanked the plug, allowing eight hits and eight earned runs. Verlander only missed a swinging bat four times. He now has a 9.68 ERA in four starts since his return from the IL.

This has been a mounting trend for the Astros. Framber Valdez is a set-and-forget playoffs starter. For ages, Verlander was the same. Now, however, he's very much in danger of losing his spot. Heck, there's a better than even chance that it's already lost. Ronel Blanco has been aces all season, while Yusei Kikuchi has been better than advertised since his trade deadline arrival. Even 24-year-old Spencer Arrighetti has a strong case when compared to Verlander.

Astros fandom erupts after latest Justin Verlander stinker

Naturally, Houston fans are upset with Verlander's performance Sunday evening. It's hard to place too much blame on the 41-year-old — he's in the twilight of his career and his season has been ravaged by injuries — but all the same, Houston has a divisional crown to think about, a postseason run to prepare for. There's no time to wait on Verlander to relocate what might be permanently lost.

It's hard to disagree with that statement. What once felt like a severe overreaction is now immutable fact. There's just no way to justify starting Verlander in the playoffs unless he meaningfully improves over the next few weeks.

This take has legs, folks.

Some are taking it further, wondering if Verlander should even get a chance to rebound before the postseason starts. The Astros are five games ahead of the Seattle Mariners in the AL West. There's a cushion there, but the lead isn't completely safe.

We have seen a similar storyline unfold with the overly expensive Taijuan Walker and the Philadelphia Phillies. Sometimes, a dude you paid to be a dude just isn't that dude anymore. The Astros can't afford to let pedigree get in the way of the obvious truth. Verlander has lost his edge on the mound. He isn't missing bats or outfoxing hitters. As such, Houston needs to think long and hard about yanking the three-time Cy Young winner and former MVP.

There won't be a pitcher in the playoffs who can match Verlander's resumé, but that doesn't matter. Let's keep it real. Sure, Verlander has the advantage of experience, but it's only an advantage if he can channel that experience productively. Right now, he just does not have the potency of stuff to string together outs. In the playoffs, when every mistake is magnified and every weakness is exploited, the idea of starting Verlander is unimaginable.