Justin Verlander may still have one more Tigers start left in him, and that possibility is exactly the kind of lift Detroit fans were hoping for.
After signing a one-year deal with the organization that drafted him back in 2004, Verlander spent most of this season trying to add one more chapter to a career that has already stretched across 21 Major League seasons. He made just one start before going on the injured list with left hip inflammation and a left hamstring strain, and the comeback trail looked uncertain from there.
But the latest update is encouraging. ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle reported that Verlander threw off the mound last weekend and that things went well enough for manager A.J. Hinch to say the Tigers are hoping to get him a start during Detroit’s final series against Pittsburgh at Comerica Park, where his career will be celebrated before his impending retirement.
“Verlander hasn't made a start for the Tigers at Comerica Park in over nine years. Fingers crossed.”
That’s the kind of finish that would fit a pitcher with this résumé. Verlander, now 43, has announced this season will be his last in professional baseball, and he’s still trying to get back on the mound one more time before the curtain drops.
A 10-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and the 2011 AL MVP, Verlander has spent 14 of his 21 years in the majors with Detroit. If he can make that final start at Comerica Park, it would give Tigers fans one last chance to celebrate a familiar face in a setting that means a lot to both sides.
Detroit is nearly out of the postseason picture, but a Verlander finale would still give the home crowd something real to cheer.
In Other News...
Tigers Suddenly Face A Bigger Concern Than One White Sox Loss
Framber Valdez gave the Tigers a chance to settle in Tuesday night, piling up strikeouts over five innings, but Detroit still left with a 3-1 loss to the White Sox in the opener of the series. Chicago jumped in front early on Munetaka Murakamis three-run homer, and even after the Tigers pushed across a run in the third, they never really got back to even.
The bigger issue for Detroit is what the loss hints at beyond a single game: an offense that could not fully capitalize on a solid outing from the mound. In a series where the Tigers needed a clean reset, they instead spent the night trying to erase an early hole, and now have to answer whether this was just a rough start or the beginning of a more familiar problem. [Read more 🡒]
Curtis Granderson Is Returning To Tigers Coverage In Chicago
The Tigers are heading into a four-game series in Chicago after a loss to the Blue Jays, and the broadcast setup for the second game should add a familiar voice to the mix. Former Detroit outfielder Curtis Granderson will join the clubs radio coverage during the third and fourth innings, giving listeners on both the Tigers and White Sox broadcasts a chance to hear from one of the more recognizable names to come through the organization.
Grandersons return to the airwaves also carries a local twist, since he was drafted by Detroit and grew up in Chicago, where his ties have remained strong off the field as well. Through the Grand Kids Foundation, he has supported youth initiatives in Illinois, so this isnt just a brief reunion with an old team. It is another reminder of how often Grandersons path continues to circle back to the cities that shaped his career. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Wild Card Push Still Has One Frustrating Problem
The Tigers six-game winning streak ended in frustrating fashion against the Blue Jays, and the reason was impossible to miss. Three straight errors helped open the door to two unearned runs, turning a competitive game into a reminder that Detroits Wild Card push still has some rough edges, even as the club stays very much in the race.
Defense has been the nagging issue around this team, and it showed up at the wrong time in a stretch when every game matters. The Tigers now head into a series against the White Sox knowing the margin for error is shrinking, and if they want to keep climbing, they will need cleaner baseball behind the pitching staff. [Read more 🡒]