Mets put Justin Verlander on injured list, will miss start of 2023 season

Hours before their 2023 opener, the New York Mets announced that right-hander Justin Verlander was going onto the injured list with a "low grade teres major strain" in his side – but will continue to throw and be re-evaluated in a week.

The 40-year-old Verlander signed a two-year, $86.6 million deal with the Mets this winter, coming off his third career Cy Young award.

"Looking back, it's something that was lingering. I thought it was something I was working through," Verlander said Thursday. "In my bullpen yesterday, I still felt a teeny bit of something."

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Verlander said his velocity had been down in his last spring training start and he connected the dots, wanting to be extra cautious at the beginning of the season.

"The fact that I'm going to be able to continue to throw is showing how minor of an injury it is," Verlander said.

Verlander said he would "definitely" be pitching if this were the playoffs, "but it just makes too much sense to not push it right now."

Right-hander Tylor Megill will take Verlander's spot in the rotation.

"It's not something to mess around with," Verlander said. "In my mind, it's being prudent, being smart and getting it looked at."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Justin Verlander injury: Mets put ace on IL, will miss start of 2023