Verlander won his first start of the season on Saturday, pitching six innings with seven strikeouts on 73 pitches.
The Houston Astros' bid to return to the World Series appears to have gotten a lot tougher.
Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander reportedly will miss the rest of the season with an elbow injury, according to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle.
Verlander pitched six innings in a win against the Seattle Mariners on Friday, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk with seven strikeouts on 73 pitches. There was no mention of a possible injury in postgame interviews, and Verlander's exact injury is unknown.
In March, Verlander had groin surgery that would have forced him to miss the beginning of the season had it started on time. He hurt his groin while rehabbing from a spring-training lat injury.
Verlander, 37, won his second career Cy Young Award in 2019, going 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA and 300 strikeouts in 223 innings. He's 43-15 with a 2.45 ERA in 74 career starts with the Astros.