Justin Brooks Verlander is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball. He is born in February 20, 1983. On March 24, 2019, Verlander and the Astros agreed on a two-year, $66 million contract extension to keep Verlander with Houston through the 2021 season.Verlander made his 11th career opening day start on March 28, earning a 5–1 victory against reigning Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and the Tampa Bay Rays.On March 17, 2020, Verlander underwent surgery on his right groin that required six weeks to recover. At around the same time, the season was delayed due to a coronavirus crisis.