right-hander opened his August with an impre sive start on Thursday night against the . He threw six shutout innings, surrendering two hits and i suing one walk versus five strikeouts. The outing improved his seasonal marks to a 1.73 ERA (221 ERA+) and a 5.52 strikeout-to-walk ratio over the course of 130 innings.That last number Brett Pesce Jersey happens to be an important one. By cro sing the 130-inning threshold, Verlander triggered a conditional $25 million player option in his contract that was tied to his workload -- an incentive that the Astros requested when they signed him last winter following his year-plus rehab from Tommy John surgery. Julien Gauthier Women Jersey NYM SP #35 ERA1.73WHIP.85IP130BB23K127 "I wasn't pitching to get to 130 innings," Verlander told reporters, . "When we were doing the contract, Astros owner Jim Crane told me they wanted 130 innings for my player option. I was asking for a straight player option and they said they'd like 130 innings, and that was that. I thought that was a very fair number the way I Jordan Staal Men Jersey like to pitch." Fantasy Baseball Today Newsletter Your Cheat Code To Fantasy Baseball You're destined to gain an edge over your friends with advice from the award-winning FBT crew. I agree to receive the "Fantasy Baseball Today Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pre sing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the . Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Scott Darling Men Jersey Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error proce sing your subscription. Verlander, 39, will now have the choice this winter to return to the Astros for $25 million or to decline and test free agency. It's worth noting that Verlander could also decline the option before reaching a new agreement with the Astros. Given his track record and his performance this season, it would seem reasonable to believe he could land another one-year pact worth more than $25 million. The Astros, 69-38 on the season, will continue their four-game series against the Guardians on Friday night. Houston's 11 game lead in the American League West is the largest in the league, though it trails the ' 12 game lead in the National League West for the largest in Janne Kuokkanen Jersey the majors.