Tigers' Justin Verlander: Recovery going slower than expected
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Manager A.J. Hinch said Thursday that Verlander's recovery from hip inflammation is "going a little slower than I think he anticipated or we anticipated," Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
"I think he's doing OK," Hinch continued. "I don't think he's necessarily taking a step forward, and he hasn't taken a step back. He had a bullpen yesterday that went OK. ... We're going to take it day by day." It sounds like Verlander is still dealing with discomfort in the left hip. He's made one start this season, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks with just one strikeout across 3.2 innings against the Diamondbacks on March 30. Keider Montero will continue to remain in the rotation for the time being.
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Tigers' Justin Verlander: Needs another bullpen session
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Verlander (hip) will throw another bullpen session before potentially embarking on a rehab assignment, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
The veteran right-hander threw about 40 pitches during his latest bullpen session Saturday and felt good Sunday, per Chris McCosky of The Detroit News, and he'll need at least one more session before facing live hitters. Verlander landed on the shelf April 4 due to left hip inflammation, but he was able to get back to throwing quickly and shouldn't require much time to build back to game readiness.
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Tigers' Justin Verlander: Slated for rehab assignment
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Manager A.J. Hinch said Saturday that Verlander (hip) will make a rehab start before returning from the injured list, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Verlander will be eligible to return from the injured list Thursday, but the Tigers won't activate him right away and instead give him a tune-up outing before reintroducing him to the rotation. Once the veteran righty returns, Casey Mize or Keider Montero will likely be facing a demotion to the bullpen or Triple-A.
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Tigers' Justin Verlander: Slated for bullpen session Saturday
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Verlander (hip) will throw a bullpen session Saturday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
It appears to be the first time he's thrown off the mound since landing on the 15-day injured list last weekend with left hip inflammation. Verlander will be eligible for activation April 16, but it's unclear whether the Tigers will ask him to make a rehab start before returning. Keider Montero has been filling in for Verlander in Detroit's rotation.
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Tigers' Justin Verlander: Placed on IL
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The Tigers placed Verlander on the 15-day injured list Saturday due to left hip inflammation, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Verlander was lit up for five earned runs in just 3.2 innings during his first start of the season Monday, and he seems to have come out of that appearance with the hip injury. He'll be eligible to return from the IL on April 16, though it's unknown if he'll be ready by then. In the meantime, Keider Montero will come up from Triple-A Toledo to fill the opening in Detroit's rotation.
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Tigers' Justin Verlander: Stumbles in first start
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Verlander (0-1) took the loss against Arizona on Monday, tossing 3.2 innings and allowing five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out one batter.
It's a feel-good story for Verlander to be back with the team that he's built much of his Hall of Fame resume with, but the veteran hurler looked far removed from his peak years Monday. Verlander fell behind 5-0 by the end of the second inning, with much of the damage coming by way of a Corbin Carroll three-run homer. To his credit, Verlander did manage to retire six of the eight batters he faced following that long ball, but his final line wasn't pretty. Tellingly, the right-hander notched just six whiffs and one punchout while giving up three extra-base knocks. He'll try to turn things around in his next start, which is lined up for a home matchup versus St. Louis.
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Tigers' Justin Verlander: Uneven spring debut
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Verlander allowed two runs on two hits across two innings of work in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox. He walked two and struck out four.
Verlander wasn't particularly sharp in his spring debut as he allowed four baserunners across only two innings and needed 50 pitches to cover the frames, but the four strikeouts were a nice sign. The veteran righty signed with Detroit on Feb. 10, rejoining the team with which he began his MLB career back in 2005. Verlander should slot in near the back of Detroit's stacked rotation and could have some fantasy value in the right matchups, though his days of being an ace seem long gone at this point.
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Tigers' Justin Verlander: Set for spring debut Friday
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Verlander will make his first Grapefruit League start in Friday's game against the Red Sox, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Verlander will be the last member of Detroit's projected season-opening rotation to take the hill this spring, and it will be his first game in a Detroit uniform since 2017 after rejoining the club on a one-year, $13 million contract last month. The 42-year-old isn't the same pitcher he was when he last played for the Tigers, but he should at least give the team a veteran option to reliably eat up some innings. Verlander turned in a respectable 3.85 ERA and 137 strikeouts across 152 innings for the Giants last year.
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Tigers' Justin Verlander: Returning to Detroit
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Verlander agreed to a one-year, $13 million contract with the Tigers on Tuesday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
The veteran right-hander spent the 2025 campaign in San Francisco, finishing the season with a 3.85 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 137:52 K:BB across 152 innings. Verlander is now coming back to Detroit, where he won Rookie of the Year, an MVP and a Cy Young Award across the first 13 seasons of his big-league career. He'll turn 43 years old on Feb. 20 and will help round out a Tigers rotation headlined by Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Ends 2025 season strong
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Verlander (4-11) earned the win against the Rockies on Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out seven across six innings.
Verlander got off to a shaky start by yielding solo home runs to Hunter Goodman and Brenton Doyle in the first and second innings, respectively. The veteran right-hander managed to settle in to keep the Rockies off the board for the rest of his outing, and he finished his quality start with 17 whiffs on 92 pitches. Verlander struggled in the first half of the season, failing to log a win while posting a 4.70 ERA and 1.42 WHIP across 76.2 innings prior to the All-Star break. However, the three-time Cy Young winner came alive after the break, going 4-4 across 14 starts with an impressive 2.99 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 70:26 K:BB over 75.1 frames. Verlander will turn 43 in February but intends to continue his storied major-league career in 2026, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Roughed up in 11th loss
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Verlander (3-11) took the loss Monday, allowing six runs (four earned) on nine hits and two walks over 4.1 innings against the Cardinals. He struck out three.
Verlander labored against the Cardinals on Monday, failing to get through five innings while surrendering his highest hit total since Aug. 10. The outing ended an impressive run in which the right-hander logged a 0.87 ERA and 1.03 WHIP across 31 innings over his previous five starts. Now in his age-42 season, the veteran owns a 3.88 ERA and 1.38 WHIP through 28 starts and 146 innings, and he's lined up for one final regular-season start Sunday against the Rockies.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Blanks D-backs in no-decision
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Verlander came away with a no-decision in Wednesday's 5-1 extra-innings win over Arizona, allowing three hits and two walks over seven scoreless innings. He struck out three.
The 42-year-old right-hander fired 67 of 107 pitches for strikes as he gave up two runs or fewer for a fifth straight start, but he got stuck with a no-decision since neither team's offense woke up until the 11th inning. Verlander has re-discovered something close to his old Cy Young form at the right time for the Giants as they try to claw their way into a wild-card spot, and over that five-start hot streak he sports a 0.87 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 28:12 K:BB in 31 innings. Verlander will try to stay locked in for his next trip to the mound, which lines up to come at home early next week against the Cardinals.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Blanks Cardinals in no-decision
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Verlander didn't factor into the decision against the Cardinals on Saturday, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing three hits and striking out six.
Verlander was far more efficient than his prior outing, when he needed 121 pitches to get through five frames. He required just 88 pitches to complete six shutout innings this time around, marking the second consecutive start in which the veteran righty allowed only three hits while blanking his opponent. Verlander's second half has been uneven -- 15 of his 18 earned runs have come in three of his 10 outings since the All-Star break -- but when he's on, he's been nearly untouchable. The 42-year-old will take a 4.09 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and a 120:43 K:BB into his next scheduled start against the star-studded Dodgers, perhaps ready to build on his recent dominance.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Stumbles in 10th loss
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Verlander (1-10) took the loss Thursday against the Padres, allowing seven runs on seven hits and one walk in 4.1 innings. He struck out four.
Following a season-best outing in innings and strikeouts against the Rays on Aug. 16, Verlander surrendered a season-worst seven runs Thursday. The veteran right-hander made it through three spotless frames before the Padres got to him, and it was the sixth time this year that he couldn't last at least five innings. Verlander has a shaky 4.64 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 99:37 K:BB over 110.2 frames, and he'll remain difficult to trust from a fantasy perspective in a tough matchup against the Cubs next week.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Turns back clock in no-decision
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Verlander allowed two hits and struck out eight without walking a batter over seven scoreless innings in a no-decision versus the Rays on Saturday.
Verlander threw 63 of 88 pitches for strikes in his best start of the season. However, he didn't get the necessary run support, and the Giants' bullpen blew a 1-0 lead in the eighth inning. Still, Verlander has been trending in the right direction lately, allowing just seven runs (six earned) over his last five starts, posting a 28:8 K:BB in that span. For the season, he's now at a 4.23 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 95:36 K:BB through 106.1 innings across 21 starts. Verlander will have a tougher matchup in his next outing, which is tentatively projected to be on the road in San Diego.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Roughed up by Nats
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Verlander (1-9) took the loss Sunday against Washington, allowing five runs on 11 hits and one walk across five innings. He struck out six.
Verlander had been excellent in his previous three appearances, yielding one run across 15 innings. He surrendered more hits Sunday than he did during that three-start stretch and set a season-worst mark in the column. Through 20 starts in 2025, Verlander has a 4.53 ERA and an 87:36 K:BB over 99.1 innings. The 42-year-old will be back on the bump next weekend against Tampa Bay.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Solid again in no-decision
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Verlander did not factor into the decision in Monday's 5-4 loss at Pittsburgh. He allowed three hits and one walk over five innings (no earned runs and one unearned one) with four strikeouts.
The 42-year-old looked sharp for his third consecutive outing, as he notched his second scoreless appearance out of 19 total starts this season. Across his last three games, Verlander has pitched to a stingy 0.60 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 14:7 K:BB in 15 innings. Through 94.1 total frames, the future Hall of Famer now sports a 4.29 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 81:35 K:BB. Verlander is currently slated to make his next start at home against Washington this weekend, when he'll aim to become the 10th pitcher all-time to reach the 3,500 career strikeout plateau, as he presently sits at 3,497.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Pitches well in no-decision
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Verlander allowed a run on six hits and a walk while striking out seven over five innings in a no-decision versus the Pirates on Tuesday.
Verlander threw 61 of 94 pitches for strikes in one of his better performances this year. A Liover Peguero solo home run was the only blemish on Verlander's line in this start, but the Giants didn't give him enough run support. The right-hander has rebounded in late July thanks to some easier matchups, allowing just one run over his last 10 innings. He's at a 4.53 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 77:34 K:BB through 89.1 innings across 18 starts this season. His next start is expected to be a rematch on the road in Pittsburgh early next week.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Earns first win with Giants
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Verlander (1-8) earned the win against Atlanta on Wednesday, allowing one hit and five walks while striking out three over five scoreless innings.
Verlander threw just 55 of 98 pitches for strikes and issued five walks for the second time this season, but he battled to earn his first win in 17 starts. It also marked the 42-year-old's first scoreless outing of the year, snapping a three-start stretch in which he allowed 14 runs (12 earned) over 11.2 innings. On the season, he owns a 4.70 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 70:33 K:BB across 84.1 frames and lines up for a home matchup with the Pirates next week.
Verlander (0-8) took the loss Friday, giving up four runs on nine hits and two walks over 2.2 innings as the Giants fell 4-0 to the Blue Jays. He failed to strike out a batter.
All the damage off Verlander came in the second inning as Toronto batted around, but the 42-year-old righty couldn't keep traffic off the basepaths in his other two frames either. It's the first time he's recorded zero strikeouts in a start since July 2, 2017, and his 16-start winless streak to begin the season has set a new Giants franchise record. It's looking increasingly likely that 2025 will be the end of the road for the future Hall of Famer, but Verlander will keep looking for career win No. 263 when he takes the mound next week in Atlanta.
