Justin Verlander’s path back to a Tigers mound remains murky, but Detroit isn’t shutting the door on 2026.
Manager A.J. Hinch said Saturday that the 43-year-old right-hander’s rehab from a hamstring strain has been “really slow,” yet the organization still expects Verlander to pitch next season. There’s just no clear timeline for when he might get there.
“He's working every day. He's one of the first guys here,” Hinch said before teh Tigers' game against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, July 25.
“He's very committed, and so are we, at getting him right and seeing what he can contribute. There's a lot of time and energy and work going into this everyday, so it hasn't wavered.”
Verlander’s season has been a grind from the start. He signed a one-year deal with Detroit ahead of the 2026 season, aiming to make an impact for the club that drafted him No. 2 overall in the 2004 MLB Draft. Instead, he has made only one major league appearance this year, giving up five earned runs in 3⅔ innings in a March 30 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Five days later, he went on the injured list with hip inflammation and has been rehabbing ever since. The process has included setbacks in bullpen work and three minor league rehab outings, with the latest coming June 10 for Triple-A Toledo.
A few days after that latest setback, Verlander sounded uncertain about what came next. Then, a couple of weeks later, he announced his retirement plans.
“I've always said that I want to play until the wheels fall off,” Verlander said on June 19 after being scratched from a planned start on June 21. “Maybe they are falling off.
I hope not. ... If I can't be healthy, and I continue to prove that I can't be healthy, that's something that I have to really evaluate.”
Even with all of that, Hinch said there’s still no reason to assume Verlander has thrown his final big league pitch.
“If anything, I think he's sort of doubly working to get himself healthy,” Hinch said.
Detroit also got a more encouraging health update from Casey Mize, who avoided the injured list after leaving his last start against the Los Angeles Angels on July 19 in the fourth inning following a comebacker to the wrist. He is lined up to start against Kansas City on Saturday, and Hinch said he would be “aware, more than careful” with the right-hander.
“I think we've checked every box that we need to to get him to this point, and then now I can treat him pretty formally,” Hinch said. “I'm aware that he had a short start.
That can impact pitch count, or it can impact his stamina. But at this time of year, these guys are built up so much to handle it.
So as long as nothing sounds the alarm bell, so to speak, of, like, pitches aren't going in the right area or the stuff's not the same, we're not expecting any issues.”
Mize said Thursday that he feels ready to go after finishing a bullpen session Wednesday.
“I'm on track, looking forward to Saturday,” he said. “Checking all the boxes that we need to, and I'm feeling good.”
Mize has already spent two stints on the injured list this season because of a groin injury, but since returning on June 16 he has looked healthy. By some measures, he has been Detroit’s most productive pitcher, entering Saturday with a team-high 2.7 fWAR, according to FanGraphs, and a 2.62 FIP.
The Tigers should also have a boost from a fresher bullpen. Tarik Skubal worked into the eighth inning of Friday’s 2-1 win over the Royals, and Ty Madden returned Tuesday after Jack Flaherty was placed on the injured list.
“Given that Ty is back online and available, what yesterday did for us to reset a large portion of the bullpen, it allows me to be aggressive either competitively or medically,” Hinch said.
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