Justin Verlander still doesn’t know when he might pitch in games

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WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — It’s still too early to say whether Astros ace Justin Verlander will be ready to pitch on Opening Day. Verlander reported to training camp a couple of weeks behind in his preparation schedule due to a shoulder issue that arose just before the start of Spring Training.

Verlander is pitching out of the bullpen every three days and is progressing well, but he said Sunday that he is being cautious in his preparation and is still unsure when he will face hitters for the first time.

“I’m recovering pretty well,” he said. “Everything is going more or less as I would like. I’m trying not to get in my own way too much, and I’m trying not to overdo things and really listen to the trainers and the guys that are there to slow me down a little bit. “I’m trying to listen to them.”

Verlander isn’t looking beyond a week, making it impossible to say if he’ll be ready for the start of the regular season. For that to happen, Verlander would likely have to face hitters in the backfields soon before he could participate in some Grapefruit League games.

“We still have some time,” he commented. “Obviously, it’s tight, but things are progressing. It’s a bit like what I’m doing with my rehab right now: day by day. We’re not even looking at a week or two weeks, and it’s hard to foresee anything beyond that.”

As for his shoulder, Verlander said he is not completely fit, which he says is normal in a preparation stage. Every time he’s been on the mound, he’s progressed. He has started throwing sliders on flat ground so that he can be prepared to face hitters when that happens.

“I started throwing some sliders on flat ground a few days ago, so I need to do that now to be prepared in case I start getting into games soon or facing hitters,” he added. “Obviously, I want to be able to launch it [la slider]because I don’t have time to say, ‘I’m going to start playing with her in games.'”