Astros ace Justin Verlander had Tommy John surgery on Wednesday.
General manager James Click announced Thursday that Verlander had the procedure a day earlier and estimated recovery time at about 12-14 months. That means the earliest Verlander could pitch for would be in the 2022 season and it might not be for the Astros. A right-hander who turns 38 in February, Verlander has a $33 million salary next year, then is eligible for free agency.
The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner made just one start this season, pitching six innings on July 24 in a win over Seattle on opening day before being placed on the injured list with strained right forearm. He attempted a comeback after he was injured, but announced on Sept. 19 that he would need Tommy John surgery.
FILE- In this July 24, 2020, file photo, Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander throws against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning of a baseball game in Houston. The Astros announced Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, that Verlander needs Tommy John surgery and could miss the entire 2021 season. (AP PhotoDavid J. Phillip, File)
Verlander joined the Astros in a trade on Aug. 31, 2017 and his stellar performance helped them to their first World Series title that season. He is 43-15 with a 2.45 ERA and 640 strikeouts in 74 starts in Houston.
Verlander went 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA last year, striking out a career-high 300 and throwing the third no-hitter of his career. He pitched 223 innings, most in the majors, and made six more starts in the postseason as the Astros reached the World Series.
Verlander is 226-129 with a 3.33 ERA in 16 seasons. He has won two Cy Young Awards, was voted the 2011 AL MVP and was the 2006 AL Rookie of the Year. He has 3,013 strikeouts.
FILE - In this March 3, 2020, file photo, Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander reacts after a pitch during the third inning of a spring training baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals in Jupiter, Fla. The Astros announced Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, that Verlander needs Tommy John surgery and could miss the entire 2021 season. (AP PhotoJulio Cortez)
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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Get ready for the 2026 Australian Open with a guide that tells you everything you need to know about how to watch the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the season on TV, who the defending champions are, what the schedule is and more:
Singles play begins next Sunday at 11 a.m. local time (7 p.m. Saturday EST) around the grounds, with the first match in Rod Laver Arena scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. (7:30 p.m. Saturday EST).
— In the U.S.: ESPN and Tennis Channel
— Other countries are listed here
Madison Keys of the United States and Jannick Sinner of Italy won the 2025 singles trophies. Keys beat the No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 for her first Grand Slam trophy. Sinner beat Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 to successfully defend his title at Melbourne Park.
Sabalenka will be the top-seeded woman and Carlos Alcaraz the top-seeded man. They currently are ranked No. 1, and the tournament seedings usually follow the WTA and ATP rankings.
The Australian Open is played outdoors on hard courts at Melbourne Park, located along the Yarra River near downtown Melbourne. There are retractable roofs at Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena. Women play best-of-three-set matches with a first-to-10 tiebreaker at 6-all in the third; men play best-of-five with a tiebreaker at 6-all in the fifth. Like at the U.S. Open and French Open, there are night sessions. The tournament is staged each year around the last two weeks of January, during the school summer holidays Down Under.
The Australian Open is introducing “opening week” where the Melbourne Park precinct will be open to the public from the start of the qualifying tournament, and live music will be staged every night at Grand Slam Oval. Fans can watch open practice sesions in Rod Laver Arena to see some of the sport's biggest names preparing for the first major of the year. Organizers are also expanding the so-called 1 Point Slam in opening week, where 22 professional players and 10 amateurs get the chance to play for 1 million Australian dollars in prize money.
First round of qualifying for the men's and women's singles.
— Jan. 18-19-20: First Round (Women and Men)
— Jan. 21-22: Second Round (Women and Men)
— Jan. 23-24: Third Round (Women and Men)
— Jan. 25-26: Fourth Round (Women and Men)
— Jan. 27-28: Quarterfinals (Women and Men)
— Jan. 29: Women’s Semifinals
— Jan. 30: Men’s Semifinals
— Jan. 31: Women’s Final
— Feb. 1: Men’s Final
— Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka describes the season schedule as “insane.”
— Coco Gauff adds some context on the “worst” fans
— Novak Djokovic is cutting ties with the Professional Tennis Players Association
— Venus Williams gets a wildcard entry for the Australian Open, at age 45
— Carlos Alcaraz ends his 7-year partnership with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero
— The ATP is adding a heat rule like the one the women have had for 30 years
— Nick Kyrgios will do doubles time, but won't play singles at the Australian Open
Australian Open prize money has increased by 16% on last year to a record total in local currency of 111.5 million Australian dollars (US$75 million). That was up from 96.5 million Australian dollars in 2025. The women’s and men’s singles champions will win 4.15 million Australian dollars ($2.8 million), a 19% increase on last year.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus waves to the crowd after winning the women's final match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-4, 6-3, at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
