Justin Verlander Expected to Miss Six Weeks After Undergoing Groin Surgery

Astros ace Justin Verlander underwent surgery on his right groin on Tuesday and is expected to be out for six weeks, general manager James Click announced.

"Initially, the hope was that physical therapy would be the proper course of action," Click said in a statement. "However, after a recent setback in his rehab, the medical staff recommended that a surgical procedure was necessary. The early prognosis is that Justin will be out for six weeks."

Verlander's surgery came less than 10 days after the club shut him down with a mild lat strain during spring training. His availability to pitch on Opening Day was up in the air at the time, but the start date of the 2020 season remains unknown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MLB delayed the start of the season by two weeks due to the virus but announced Monday it is in talks to possibly suspend play further. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently recommended that gatherings of more than 50 people be postponed or canceled for eight weeks. 

At the start of camp, Verlander dealt with discomfort in his right groin and had his spring training cut short after his last outing. Manager Dusty Baker removed him after two innings and 20 pitches during his start on March 8 after Verlander said he felt soreness in his right arm.

Verlander went 21–6 with a 2.53 ERA in 34 starts last season. He stuck out 300 batters and reached 3,000 career strikeouts while helping the Astros capture the American League pennant. He ended one of the best campaigns in his career by winning his second AL Cy Young Award.