Justin Verlander left off Astros' Wild Card Series roster, but Yordan Alvarez is back

The Houston Astros left three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander off the roster for their AL Wild Card Series against Detroit but did include injured slugger Yordan Alvarez.

Verlander struggled in his return after missing almost two months with a neck injury this summer. The 41-year-old right-hander went 2-2 with a 9.26 ERA in five starts in September.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Verlander was professional when told of the decision and said he could be on the roster for future rounds if the team advances. Verlander last pitched Saturday, allowing three runs in six innings against Cleveland.

“JV understands how well some of our starters have performed, some of our young guys and … he threw the ball really well against Cleveland,” Espada said. “So I don’t want us to just disregard JV for the rest of the postseason.”