Mets begin Opening Day on sour note, put new ace Justin Verlander on injured list
Verlander, 40, won the Cy Young Award last year
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Opening Day is an unofficial holiday for all baseball fans, but it didn't begin celebratory for the New York Mets.
Before the team even began the regular season, they placed Justin Verlander on the injured list.
The team called the 40-year-old's injury a "low grade terces major" strain, aka, the armpit.
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Justin Verlander of the New York Mets delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins in the first inning at Roger Dean Stadium on March 4, 2023, in Jupiter, Florida. (Jasen Vinlove/Miami Marlins/Getty Images)
The Mets signed Verlander in the offseason on a two-year, $86 million deal after losing Jacob deGrom to the Texas Rangers.
"It feels like crap," Verlander said of missing Opening Day. "Not the way I wanted my Mets tenure to start, that's for sure."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Verlander said he felt "a little something" after a bullpen session on Wednesday and received an MRI on Thursday.
General manager Billy Eppler said Verlander will continue to throw, and no one seems too worried.
"In my mind, it was let’s be prudent here, let’s be smart and get it looked at," he said. "So, that’s what I did."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The right-hander missed some time on the injured list last year on his way to a third Cy Young Award campaign, which was arguably the best of his career.
Pitcher Justin Verlander of the Mets walks into his introductory press conference at Citi Field on Dec. 20, 2022, in New York City. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
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With the World Series champion Houston Astros, Verlander led the majors with a 1.75 ERA, by far the lowest of his career. But what made it even more impressive was the fact that he missed the entire 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery the year prior, where he made just one start before getting hurt.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tylor Megill will take the future Hall of Famer's place in the rotation.
New York Mets pitcher Justin Verlander during a spring training workout on Feb. 17, 2023, in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Alejandra Villa Loarca/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
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The Mets begin their season in Miami against the Marlins on Thursday at 4:10 p.m., where three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer will take the bump. New York will oppose Sandy Alcantara, who won the award last year.