Verlander (calf) heads to 15-day IL

The Houston Astros' rotation will be without the services of Cy Young favourite Justin Verlander heading into the season's final full month.

The club placed the 39-year-old righty on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday with a calf injury.

The Astros have made the following roster moves: - Justin Verlander has been placed on the 15-day IL - Jake Meyers has been optioned to AAA + Brandon Bielak has been recalled from AAA + J.J. Matijevic has been recalled from AAA + Hunter Brown has been added to the Taxi Squad

Verlander exited this past Sunday's start against the Baltimore Orioles after only three innings with discomfort in his right calf. He had been set for an MRI on Monday.

“That’s the best of bad news,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said of the injury on Sunday. “We were glad it wasn’t anything to do with his elbow or arm or anything like that. We’ll just have to wait until he has the imaging.”

In his 15th season and fifth with the Astros, the two-time American League Cy Young winner and 2011 AL Most Valuable Player is 16-3 with a 1.84 earned run average and WHIP of 0.855. He's struck out 154 batters and walked 26.

The Verlander move was one of a flurry of Astros roster adjustments.

Outfielder Jake Meyers was optioned to the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys, while right-hander Brandon Bielak and infielder J.J. Matijevic were recalled from AAA. Right-hander Hunter Brown was added to the team's taxi squad.