Mets putting Justin Verlander on IL with muscle strain

The New York Mets are placing co-ace Justin Verlander on the injured list because of a low-grade muscle strain near his pitching shoulder, the team announced Thursday.

The injury is specifically to the right-hander's teres major, the team said.

The Mets said that Verlander, who signed a two-year, $86 million contract with the team in the offseason, will throw and moderate intensity and then undergo further testing in a week.

Verlander, 40, won his third Cy Young Award last season when he went 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA for the World Series champion Houston Astros. The Mets signed Verlander after losing Jacob deGrom in free agency to the Texas Rangers.