The Astros placed Verlander (calf) on the 15-day injured list Tuesday.
According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Verlander underwent an MRI on Monday that revealed fascial disruption, but no muscle fiber disruption to his right calf, which he injured while covering first base in Sunday's start against the Orioles. While a timeline for Verlander's return hasn't yet been established, the diagnosis was worrisome enough for the club to place him on the shelf for at least the next couple weeks. Due to a pair of off days this week, Houston planned on scaling its rotation back to five men, so Cristian Javier will presumably return from the bullpen to take over Verlander's spot in the rotation. Additionally, top pitching prospect Hunter Brown is expected to be added from Triple-A Sugar Land when the active roster expands to 28 players Thursday, providing further coverage for Houston while Verlander is on the mend. In his comeback from Tommy John surgery this season, Verlander has re-emerged as a leading American League Cy Young candidate, as he turned in a 1.84 ERA and 0.86 WHIP over 152 innings before exiting Sunday's outing. He won't be eligible to come off the IL until Sept. 13.