Astros' Justin Verlander announces he'll have Tommy John surgery
Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander tossed just one game this season, making a start on July 24. The right-hander has been out ever since with an injury, and unfortunately, it looks like he'll be out much longer.
Verlander announced via Instagram on Saturday that he'll undergo Tommy John surgery. He said he felt something in his arm during a simulated game the other day and determined surgery was the best for his career moving forward.
Verlander won his second American League Cy Young award in 2019 after leading the league with 21 wins against six losses. He also made the most starts (34), pitched the most innings (223) and had the lowest WHIP (.803).
In his one start this season, he recorded seven strikeouts.
Tommy John surgery typically takes a year or more to recover from. We've already seen other talented pitchers have the elbow surgery this season, including Chris Sale, Yonny Chirinos, Tommy Kahnle and Luis Severino.
With Verlander out, the Astros have relied on Zack Greinke, Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr. and Jose Urquidy on the mound this season. That hasn't necessarily worked out for them, as the team sits second in the AL West with a 25-26 record, one game below .500.
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