The win against Seattle Mariners’ in the season opener will be the only mound appearance for Houston Astros’ star pitcher Justin Verlander in 2020. Verlander announced over the weekend that he is set to have a Tommy John surgery to repair the damage in his elbow.
The procedure will not only effectively rule out Verlander for the remainder of the 2020 MLB season, but it could also potentially have him miss the entire 2021 season. Recovery from the Tommy John surgery varies, but it usually takes players 12 to 15 months to return to action.
Verlander was shut down back in July and hasn’t played since due to forearm strain. According to the 37-year-old pitcher, he felt some “stiffness” in his elbow while attempting a comeback last week and was advised by doctors to get the procedure.
“I truly believe everything happens for a reason,” said Verlander in a video posted on social media. “And although 2020 has sucked, hopefully when this rehab process is all said and done, this will allow me to charge through the end of my career and be healthy as long as I want and pitch as long as I want and accomplish some of the goals that I want in my career.”
If he ends up missing the next season as well, it could be that Justin Verlander played his last game with the Astros. He has two years left on his deal counting 2020 and will become a free agent entering 2022.
Since joining the Astros in 2017, Verlander has played some of the best baseball in his career, earning two All-Star appearances and winning the Cy Young award in 2019. Since arriving in Houston, he posted a 43-15 record with 2.45 ERA and 640 strikeouts.
