Angels vs. Astros Friday MLB probable pitchers, odds: Justin Verlander to make first start back in Houston, 500th career start overall

The MLB record for most starts made in a career by a pitcher is an absurd 815 by Cy Young, who was so dominant in his day that  the best pitcher in either league earns an award in his name. That mark will almost surely never be broken, and frankly we may never see another pitcher even get to 500 starts – which future Hall of Famer and three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander will do Friday as his Astros host the Angels, with Houston a -180 favorite.

Just as an aside: Young only holds the record for starts, not appearances. That belongs to reliever Jesse Orosco, who got into a whopping 1,252 games. He played from 1987 to 2003.

The only other active pitcher with at least 500 starts is another former Cy Young Award winner, Kansas City right-hander Zack Greinke, with 536. Greinke is likely retiring after this season; he may not want to, but Greinke has been struggled for the most part. Verlander, who will be the 50th all-time pitcher with 500 starts, has a contract potentially through 2025 (depending on certain parameters he may meet in 2024). If Verlander does pitch until then and stays healthy, he should get into the top 30 all-time in starts.

The 40-year-old of course was acquired from the Mets around the trade deadline. Last Saturday at Yankee Stadium marked his first start back in a Houston uniform. Verlander pitched well against the Yankees in his Astros return, allowing two runs over seven innings of work, but he took a hard-luck loss.

With his reacquisition, it's now Verlander's seventh consecutive season as an Astro. This will be his first outing back at Minute Maid Park, where Verlander was 10-1 with a 1.64 ERA in 15 starts last year en route to winning his third Cy Young.

Verlander (6-6, 3.11 ERA overall) hasn't faced the Angels this year and is 15-11 with a 3.20 ERA in 30 career outings against them. He is set at over/under 6.5 strikeouts, 18.5 outs recorded, 2.5 earned runs allowed and is +135 to personally record a win.

Houston could be without two regulars in the lineup in first baseman/DH Jose Abreu and outfielder Chas McCormick, as neither played Thursday in Baltimore due to injury. McCormick, having a breakout season at .274 with 15 homers, 47 RBI and 12 steals, was originally in the lineup but was scratched.

Angels star Shohei Ohtani, who has been caught for the MLB home run lead with 40 by Matt Olson, is 4-for-20 career off Verlander with two homers. At DraftKings, Olson is now the +100 favorite to win the HR Crown with Ohtani at +105. Ohtani is +235 to hit one tonight.

L.A. enters having won back-to-back games, but that followed a potentially season-crushing seven-game losing streak. Sadly, MLB fans will again likely not get to see Ohtani (or Mike Trout, if he's healthy) in the postseason barring a miracle. To make it, DK prices the Halos at +2500 with No at -10000. They are 6.5 games back of the final wild card spot. 

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