Alvarez on Astros’ wild-card roster but Verlander left off

Yordan Alvarez is on the Houston Astros’ roster for their wild-card series against the Detroit Tigers and batting second in Game 1 on Tuesday.

Alvarez is in the lineup as the designated hitter.

Three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2011 American League MVP  Justin Verlander is not on the Astros’ roster, however. Verlander pitched Saturday night, getting his 262nd career victory when the Astros defeated the Cleveland Guardians 4-3.

Manager Joe Espada said Verlander was very professional when told of the decision and said he could be on the roster for future rounds if the team advances.

“JV understands how well some of our starters have performed, some of our young guys and … he threw the ball really well against Cleveland,” Espada said. “So, I don’t want us to just disregard JV for the rest of the postseason.”

Alvarez hasn’t played in a game since Sept. 22, when he suffered a right knee sprain in a game against the Los Angeles Angels.

A three-time All-Star, Alvarez hit .308 with 35 home runs and 86 RBIs this season for the Astros, who finished first in the American League West with an 88-73 record.

Verlander has won two of his past three starts after missing two months with neck discomfort. He is 5-6 with a 5.48 ERA this season. He went 2-2 with a 9.26 ERA in five starts in September.

Outfielder Chas McCormick was included on Houston’s roster after being out since sustaining a small fracture in his right hand on Sept. 10.

Right-hander Kenta Maeda was left off Detroit’s roster after throwing 89 pitches Sunday.

“His contribution for this first series came in a bunch of pitches that we left him out there for on Sunday to allow us to give rest to the bigger group of relievers that we have,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.