Mets P Justin Verlander set to throw bullpen session

Justin Verlander is expected to throw a bullpen session in Port St. Lucie, Fla., Saturday, inching closer to his debut with the Mets.

Manager Buck Showalter told reporters Friday that Verlander is ready for that step. It will be Verlander's first mound session since he was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 30, retroactive to March 28, after suffering a low-grade teres major strain near his right armpit during spring training.

In his final spring training start and a subsequent side session, Verlander, 40, felt soreness in the muscle. He was then sent for imaging, which revealed a low-grade strain.

It's still unclear when Verlander will be able to make his first regular-season start, but Showalter previously said Verlander wouldn't be available during the Mets' 10-game West Coast trip that began Friday night with a 17-6 win over the Oakland Athletics.

Signed to a two-year, $86.7 million contract, Verlander is coming off one of the best seasons of his career after helping the Houston Astros win the World Series.

Verlander went 18-4 and posted a career-best 1.75 ERA across 28 starts to win his third Cy Young Award.

His 244 career wins are the most among active players, and his 3,198 strikeouts are second only to teammate Max Scherzer, a fellow three-time Cy Young winner who has 3,207. They rank 12th and 13th on the all-time strikeouts list.