Justin Verlander 'behind schedule' due to shoulder issue

Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander is dealing with a shoulder issue that has delayed his spring training timeline and could jeopardize his status for Opening Day.

Verlander told reporters Wednesday that he is "a couple of weeks behind" his traditional schedule after experiencing a "little hiccup" in his pitching shoulder.

"I'm a little bit behind schedule right now," Verlander said. "I had a little hiccup early on that's resolved itself, but I have to be really cautious with how I'm building up.

"I guess my body doesn't respond the same at 40 as it did at 25, so I'm a couple of weeks behind."

Verlander, who turns 41 next week, did not appear concerned about an extended absence and said it was "too far down the road" to worry about his availability for the Astros' season opener in six weeks. But the three-time Cy Young Award winner also acknowledged that he is on a "tight timeline" and said he will prioritize rest.

"I've always liked to give myself as much rest as possible, so my timeline is always a little tight," he said. "I think that rest is important, so with the tight timeline and having to slow things down a little bit, put me a little behind."

Astros general manager Dana Brown said he wasn't worried about Verlander's status, saying the right-hander planned to play catch Wednesday.

"Some of these guys, when they ramp up, they feel some soreness," Brown said. "I think he's going to be fine. I'm not concerned at all."

He added that if Verlander was "shut down, it would be more concerning."

Verlander said his shoulder "didn't feel so great" while playing catch recently and emphasized that he wants to remain "diligent about my buildup."

"I've always been someone who luckily could pick up a ball and just start throwing it," he said. "This time, it wasn't quite as easy, so I had to slow down a little bit."

Verlander missed the first five weeks of last season after suffering a muscle strain near his pitching shoulder in late March. The nine-time All-Star pitched just 162 innings last season, the lowest total in his 18-year career outside of the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, but went 13-8 with a 3.22 ERA in 27 combined starts with the Astros and New York Mets.

Verlander also said he hasn't contemplated retirement yet and spoke this season with former teammate Kenny Rogers, who pitched in the majors until he was 43.

"It's not like I come into this season like, 'I'm going to be 41 in four days, and the clock's ticking,'" Verlander said. "I have the same process I've always had -- head down, work hard, reset and come back next year, and you keep doing that.

"I've talked to friends. I've talked to Kenny Rogers this offseason. He took me under his wing my rookie year. He made adjustments when he was in his 40s. One of the things he told me is you'll just know. The game will tell you or you tell yourself. You'll lose the fire. You're not competitive. Neither one has happened yet, thank goodness. I'll keep playing as long as I can."

The Astros open their season March 28 against the New York Yankees.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.