Justin Verlander reaches career milestone with 3,000th strikeout - MLB

What could Justin Verlander possibly add to a career that already includes three no-hitters, eight All-Star designations, a World Series championship ring, 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young Award, and a handful of equally-illustrious titles? During Saturday’s 6-3 win over the Angels, he answered that question by setting two new records: his 300th strikeout of the 2019 season and the 3,000th strikeout of his Major League career.

Entering his final start of the regular season, the Astros’ ace needed six strikeouts to gain entrance into the 3,000-strikeout club — a club that currently boasts just 17 other members, most of whom have already been enshrined in Cooperstown. Getting to an even 300 strikeouts in 2019 presented a more difficult challenge. With 288 whiffs already under his belt, Verlander only had to get three more strikeouts to best his previous single-season record of 290, but required a full dozen to bring his total to 300.

In the end, he dealt 12 strikeouts over six innings, reaching both marks with ease and improving to a final record of 21-6 on the year. After striking out the side in the second and issuing two more strikeouts to Kaleb Cowart and Brian Goodwin in the third, Verlander notched no. 3,000 with a 2-2 slider to Kole Calhoun in the fourth. It wasn’t a perfect strikeout — the ball darted away from the plate and caromed toward the dugout, allowing Calhoun to advance to first — but it still counted toward Verlander’s impressive career total.

The rest of the inning got away from Verlander for a little while, as Andrelton Simmons belted a home run to score Calhoun and Kevan Smith wrested another base hit out of the hurler, but he soon got things under control again and managed to strike out the side in both the fourth and the fifth. During the sixth inning, Calhoun came up to bat again and struck out on a foul tip — giving Verlander strikeout no. 12 for the night and no. 300 for the season. He’ll finish his regular season campaign with a 21-6 record in 34 starts and a 2.58 ERA, 1.7 BB/9, 12.1 SO/9, and 6.2 fWAR through 223 innings.

The Astros couldn’t have asked for a better regular season finale from their no. 1 starter, especially as they gear up for their third consecutive trip to the postseason next week. Even better, the win — their 106th of the year — guarantees them home-field advantage through the playoffs.

The New York Yankees could be opening the season without three-fifths of their projected starting rotation.

Right-hander Luis Severino has a low-grade lat strain, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters Saturday, putting the two-time All-Star at risk of starting the season on the injured list.

“Obviously it’s going to put him in jeopardy to start the year,” Boone said.

Boone expressed optimism this wouldn’t be a long-term issue but acknowledged that Severino “most likely” would get placed on the injured list.

Severino, 29, went 7-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts last season. He struck out 112 in 102 innings.

Boone said the issue arose after Severino made his last start on Tuesday.

“Afterwards when he was kind of doing his workout, arm-care stuff, he just felt some tightness in there,” Boone said. “He came in the next day and it was a little tight, and then yesterday he was going to go out and throw and that tightness was still there enough to where he wanted to go get it looked at.”

The Yankees already won’t have right-hander Frankie Montas or left-hander Carlos Rodón for the start of the season.

Rodón, who joined the Yankees by signing a $162 million, six-year contract in the offseason, has a left forearm strain that will cause him to open the season on the injured list. Rodón has been an All-Star the last two seasons, in 2021 with the Chicago White Sox and in 2022 with the San Francisco Giants.

Montas is recovering from shoulder surgery and won’t begin throwing until at least late May.

The only projected starters from the Yankees’ rotation likely to be ready for the beginning of the season are five-time All-Star right-hander Gerrit Cole and 2022 All-Star left-hander Nestor Cortes.

DEGROM SHARP

Jacob deGrom struck out six over 3 2/3 shutout innings against the San Diego Padres in his final start before making his Texas Rangers regular-season debut.

The Rangers had announced Friday that deGrom would get the start Thursday when the Rangers open their season against Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies. The two-time Cy Young Award winner signed a five-year, $185 million contract with the Rangers in the offseason after spending nine seasons with the New York Mets.

GREINKE WORKS 5 1/3 INNINGS

Zack Greinke pitched 5 1/3 innings in his final test before he gets the ball against the Minnesota Twins in Kansas City on Thursday.

It will be Greinke’s seventh opening day start. At 39 years old, he will be the oldest opening-day starter in the history of the Royals franchise, breaking his own record set last year. He will be the the oldest opening day starter in the American League since a 40-year-old Curt Schilling started against the Royals in 2007.

Greinke allowed two runs on five hits against the Dodgers with no walks and two strikeouts.

“He was great today,” first-year manager Matt Quatraro said.“It certainly looked like the way they (Dodger batters) were taking those pitches, he was just dotting the plate on both sides. His two-seamer and changeup looked really good. It was encouraging.”

VOIT OPTS OUT

First baseman Luke Voit has opted out of his minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, giving the veteran slugger the opportunity to negotiate with other teams. He also could still return to the Brewers on a major league contract.

In other Brewers news, right-hander Adrian Houser left his start Saturday after 1 2/3 innings due to groin tightness.