Astros ace Justin Verlander out indefinitely with forearm strain

In a major blow to the Houston Astros' 2020 hopes, ace Justin Verlander has a forearm strain and will be shut down "for a couple of weeks," according to manager Dusty Baker.

"He’s shut down for a couple of weeks and we’ll reevaluate at that time," Baker said after Sunday's game. "That’s all I can tell you.”

Baker said Verlander told the team his arm was "tender" during Friday's start and that the 37-year-old right-hander had undergone an MRI on Saturday.

Verlander was expected to begin the season on the injured list back in March after having groin surgery and experiencing muscle soreness in the back of his shoulder. The delayed start to the regular season allowed him enough time to heal and take the mound for opening day.

"It's not a pleasant situation to think about Verlander or think about how many young players we have in the bullpen and organization but we'll go back to drawing board," Baker said Sunday.

Zack Greinke will assume the No. 1 spot in the rotation, with a combination of Lance McCullers, Josh James, Framber Valdez, Jose Urquidy and possibly top prospects Forrest Whitley and Bryan Abreu needing to shoulder a larger role.