Verlander likely to miss season opener

Houston ace Justin Verlander has a mild strain of a back muscle and said it would “probably take a miracle” for him to pitch in the Astros’ opener at Oakland on March 26.

The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was hurt on his second-to-last pitch in Sunday’s exhibition game against the New York Mets. He had an MRI on Monday and was diagnosed with a strained latissimus dorsi muscle. There is not a timetable for his return.

The 37-year-old right-hander’s velocity was down from his previous start, and he was removed after two scoreless innings of what had been scheduled as a four-inning outing. The lat began to tighten as he sat in the dugout between innings.

Groin tightness slowed Verlander’s progress earlier in spring training. He said he did not know whether the two issues were related.

Verlander had a similar lat injury during spring training in 2015 and did not make his season debut until June 13. He said he does not think his current strain is as severe.

Yelich to be paid by Brewers for decades

Milwaukee will be paying Christian Yelich until 2042, when the All-Star outfielder is 50 years old.

Yelich’s $215 million, nineyear contract with the team calls for Brewers to defer $4 million each year from his $26 million annual salary from 2022-28. The deal includes a $20 million mutual option for 2029 with a $6.5 million buyout, and $2 million of the buyout would be deferred.

If the buyout is owed, the $30 million in deferred money would be paid in 12 installments of $2.5 million each July 1 from 2031-42. If the buyout is not owed, Yelich would receive the $28 million in 11 installments of $2.3 million each July 1 from 2031-41 and a final payment of $2.3 million on July 1, 2042.

Sánchez, Paxton nearing returns for Yankees

New York Yankees catcher Gary Sánchez could be back in the lineup Friday if his sore back keeps improving.

Sánchez played consecutive games for the first time this year on Thursday and Friday, then felt sore Saturday and hasn’t played since.

New York said left-hander James Paxton plans to start a throwing program on Wednesday as he works to return from a back injury that is expected to keep out until May or June. Dr. Andrew Dossett in Dallas performed a microscopic lumbar discectomy Feb. 5 in which a herniated disk was repaired and a peridiscal cyst was removed.