Verlander takes seat Cy Young winner likely to miss Astros’ opener
Astros ace Justin Verlander has a mild strain of a back muscle and said it would “probably take a miracle” for him to pitch on opening day at home against the Los Angeles Angels on March 26.
In an effort to remain positive, Verlander quickly added, “but I don’t want to leave miracles off the table.”
The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was hurt on his second-to-last pitch in Sunday’s exhibition game against the Mets. He had an MRI on Monday and was diagnosed with a strained latissimus dorsi muscle. There is not a timetable for his return.
“Talking with doctors and looking at the scans, it’s definitely not worst-case scenario,” the Astros right-hander said. “Best-case scenario would be nothing. It’s just probably somewhere in the middle of that.”
The 37-year-old’s velocity was down from his previous start, and he was removed after two scoreless innings of what had been scheduled as a fourinning outing.
“Hardly noticed it, to be honest,” Verlander said of the injury-inducing pitch. “It didn’t quite feel right, just felt maybe I was a little off mechanically or something — kind of one of those spring things. Then in between innings it started to tighten up a bit.”
Groin tightness slowed Verlander earlier in spring training. He said he did not know whether the two issues were related.
LINDOR TALKS OFF
All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor has suspended talks with the
Cleveland Indians about a new contract so he can focus on the upcoming season.
Lindor told The Athletic on Monday that the sides have had “good conversations” but couldn’t come up with an agreement.
“So we put that aside and let’s focus on winning,“said Lindor, who will make $17.5 million this season and is under the team’s contractual control through the 2021 season.
The Indians have been up front about their eagerness to sign the 26year-old Lindor to a long-term deal. He has developed into one of baseball’s brightest young stars and best allaround players. The small-market team, however, may never be able to reach a dollar figure that will satisfy Lindor.
The popular Puerto Rico native has said he wants to stay in Cleveland to help the Indians win a World Series and he hopes the team will figure out a way financially to keep him. But the reality is that the Indians can’t afford to invest so much money into one player and remain competitive.
SURGERY FOR TEXAS’ CALHOUN
Texas Rangers outfielder Willie Calhoun was having surgery to repair his broken jaw Monday, a day after he was hit in the face by a fastball.
Rangers manager Chris Woodward said Calhoun was being operated on prior to Texas’ spring training game against the Athletics. Woodward said doctors would decide during the procedure whether Calhoun would need to have his mouth wired shut, or if a plate would be inserted.
The recovery if he only needs a plate is expected to be shorter. Woodward also said the team was not yet sure if Calhoun had a concussion.
The left-handed hitting Calhoun was hit by a first-inning fastball from Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias — a former minor-league teammate and friend of Calhoun’s. Drafted by the Dodgers in 2015, Calhoun was traded to Texas in July 2017 in a package for Yu Darvish.