Justin Verlander Denies Reports Of Season-Ending Injury, Will Return “Soon”

Houston Astros star Justin Verlander says reports that he will miss the rest of the season with a forearm injury are untrue. The pitcher will only be held out for “a couple of weeks,” according to Astros manager Dusty Baker

Rich Schultz / Getty Images

“The report that I’m currently missing the rest of the season is not accurate. There is a forearm strain… I’m hopeful that with some rest it will heal and I’ll be able to return soon. Thank you for all the well wishes.”

“It’s a forearm strain. He’s shut down for a couple of weeks and we’ll re-evaluate at that time,” Baker said Sunday. “That’s all I can tell you.”

“It happened [Friday] early in the game, but he said he felt fine,” Baker continued. “You see he was throwing the ball great … so it was kind of a shock to all of us.”

Verlander was last season’s American League Cy Young Award winner and is a major part of the Astros rotation.

As for who will replace Verlander for the time being, Baker is still undecided: “We’re looking into that. We know we’re a little short, especially on veteran arms. We’re still trying to decide who can help us.”

[Via]