Astros Believe Justin Verlander is Fully Healthy as Spring Training Approaches

The halting of the 2020 MLB season was a blessing in disguise for some of the league's biggest stars who were dealing with fairly significant injuries. On Friday, the Houston Astros revealed a bit of good news about their best arm on their current roster.

According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Astros fully believe that ace Justin Verlander will be good to go for the resumption of spring training after undergoing groin surgery this past March.

Justin Verlander, who underwent groin surgery in March, has been throwing regularly off the mound. The #Astros expect him to be a full participant when Spring Training 2.0 begins next week. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) June 26, 2020

As Morosi notes, Verlander was throwing off a mound regularly earlier this month. In addition to undergoing a medical procedure for his groin injury, Verlander was also dealing with a lat strain. Even though the 37-year-old is expected to be a full participant for training, it's unknown if he'll be ready to go for the start of the regular season on July 23 or 24.

The presence of Verlander is more important than ever for Houston, considering Gerrit Cole signed with the New York Yankees this past winter. In 2019, the veteran right handed pitcher tallied a 2.58 ERA and 0.80 WHIP, while striking out 300 batters through 223 innings. Verlander clinched his second AL Cy Young Award in a bit of an upset over his former teammate Cole.

Astros Expect Justin Verlander To Be Full Participant In Spring Training https://t.co/QCuHvlLNx3 pic.twitter.com/Bqtt2PLR5L
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) June 27, 2020

The Astros, as well as the 29 other teams in the league, are reporting to their respective ballparks for Spring Training 2.0 by July 1. From there, we should get a better idea of whether Verlander will be cleared to take the mound for Houston's regular season opener.