HOUSTON – Justin Verlander was sidelined for nearly two months this summer due to a neck injury.

After his recent difficult start in the Houston Astros' 9-7 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night, the 41-year-old right-hander said he should have taken more time to recover.

“I think I came back from my neck injury a little too quickly,” he said. “Obviously, I know the schedule, I know the calendar and I want to be an asset to this team. To do that, I have to be able to pitch and figure out where I'm at. Obviously, the results haven't been good, but there's nothing you can do except try to pitch.”

Verlander allowed eight hits and six runs in 4⅔ innings. It is the third time in four starts that the three-time Cy Young Award winner has allowed eight hits and at least five runs.

His struggles have led some to speculate that he may not be included on the playoff roster for the American League West leaders, whose magic number dropped to four with Friday's win.

Manager Joe Espada dodged the question after the game about whether he thought Verlander could help the team in the postseason.

“I've talked to you guys every day,” he said. “I'm not going to get into the playoff implications. We want to get to the playoffs, right? And we're trying to put these guys in a position to be successful so we can get to the playoffs.”

Verlander was placed on the injured list on June 15 and returned on August 21. Since his return, he has won just one of six starts and has not pitched more than five innings in any of those games.

“I haven't been feeling well since I came back, so it's tough,” he said. “But I've had tough times before in my career and I just have to find a way to get through them.”

Verlander received warm applause as he left the mound Friday night in his final home game of the regular season, thumping his chest and waving to the crowd before entering the dugout.

“These fans know the game, they're attentive,” he said. “They know I'm trying hard and trying to give it my all. I've worked as hard as I can to get back from my injury as quickly as possible. And to get so much applause after such a difficult day has touched me.”

Verlander, who is playing in his 20th MLB season, said this has been one of the toughest periods of his illustrious career. He is 4-6 with a 5.55 ERA in 16 starts this year.

“Every time I've pitched, I've felt like I'm getting closer to where I want to be,” he said. “But it's not even close to consistent. You can see that in the results. At this level, the margin for error is so slim. The first couple innings today, I felt like I was where I wanted to be, where I was kind of looking, and after that, it just wasn't that great.”

When asked about the possibility of him not being included in the playoff roster, he said it was “not his decision,” but added that he probably rushed back to help the team in October.

“I see the calendar. I know what time of year it is,” he said. “That's why I had to come back and try to find myself. … Sitting there and trying to take my time wasn't possible. I had to figure out where I was. It was tough. It was a tough lesson. But I don't regret it. I want to be there for those guys. I want to be there.”