The New York Mets placed Justin Verlander on the disabled list with a strained lower back muscle and sidelined the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner before the season opener.
A few hours before the Mets opened the season against the Miami Marlins, they announced that Verlander has a major low-grade strain. Verlander will continue to pitch moderately and will have another MRI in a week.
The club said it will provide an update on his three-time Cy Young status after further testing is done.
Verlander, 40, signed a two-year, $86.67 million deal with the Mets this offseason and pitched well in exhibition games.
He is coming off one of the best seasons of his career in which he helped the Astros win the World Series with a 18-4 record and a 1.74 ERA. He missed all of 2020 and 2021 due to Tommy John surgery.