Astros' Justin Verlander Placed on IL with Neck Injury; Scratched from Previous Start

It appears that Justin Verlander's neck injury is more serious than the Houston Astros initially thought.

The Astros announced on Tuesday that Verlander has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 16, due to neck discomfort. The team scratched him from his scheduled start on June 15 against the Detroit Tigers in hopes of avoiding placing him on the IL, but it now looks like it was a necessity to shut him down.

In 10 starts this season, Verlander is 3-2 with a 3.95 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP and 51 strikeouts in 57.0 innings of work. However, he's been in a bit of a slump recently, allowing a combined eight earned runs over his past two starts. He had surrendered two or fewer earned runs in six of his first eight starts of the year.

The 41-year-old spoke about how his neck issues were affecting him when he spoke to reporters on Saturday.

"When I was out there, I felt like it wasn't really bothering me," Verlander said. "But when I go home and sit down and really think about it, I think it's too much of a coincidence and my mechanics were really thrown off."

The three-time AL Cy Young Award winner is the ace of an Astros staff that ranks 21st in MLB with a collective 4.20 ERA. Houston hasn't been the juggernaut it has been in recent years, as the team sits in a tie for second in the AL West with a 33-39 record.

The Astros announced that right-hander Nick Hernandez has been recalled from Triple-A to take Verlander's spot on the active roster. Hernandez has made two relief appearances this season and has a 1.93 ERA.

Houston will be opening a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday evening.