Justin Verlander’s Tigers story may not be over just yet, and the veteran right-hander isn’t ruling out one more turn on the mound before the season ends.
Detroit’s year is trending toward a September finish after the club dropped both games of Friday’s doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians on walk-off losses. That has only sharpened the focus on Verlander, the future Hall of Famer who was brought back this offseason to add veteran presence to the rotation but has not appeared in a major league game since March 30 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Verlander has had multiple stretches where a return looked close, only for another setback to push him back onto the injured list and open the door for Keider Montero to step in - twice. Even so, Detroit has already marked out Sept. 25-26 at Comerica Park for a two-day celebration recognizing Verlander’s impact both on the field and in the Detroit community, though the team has not said whether he’ll actually pitch during that event.
When asked earlier this summer what his main goal was for the rest of the season, Verlander kept the answer simple: 'The first thing that comes to mind is just to get healthy and pitch successfully.'
That message still holds. In Cody Stavenhagen’s Athletic reporting, Verlander made it clear he’s not planning to spend the rest of the year watching from the sidelines if he can help it.
“I’m not trying to go out there and make a fool of myself. But if I’m healthy enough to do it, then I don’t see why I can’t," Verlander said.
The bigger question is whether he can get there. Age and the injuries that have lingered have made the path back uncertain, and Verlander isn’t pretending otherwise. What he is refusing to do is let anyone close the door on him before the month is even over.
“I don’t think it does anybody any good to try to forecast anything, including myself. That’s helping me with this balancing act a little bit.
I’m just letting things play out and doing my thing every day to try to get as close as I can, and at the same time not push it like I normally do. That’s probably the hardest part.”
If there’s a perfect landing spot for a comeback, it might be that late-September celebration at Comerica Park. The Tigers have already set aside the dates to honor one of the franchise’s most recognizable stars. Whether that includes one final outing remains to be seen, but Verlander hasn’t closed that book yet.
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The situation took an even stranger turn the next day, when De Jesus was reactivated and pitched immediately after returning. The Tigers still have not publicly addressed either the suspension or where his status stands now, leaving one more bullpen question hanging over a group that has already spent the season in flux. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Bullpen Gets A Late Boost As One Injury Looms Larger
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Tigers Need One Pitching Prospect To Justify The Tarik Skubal Trade
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There still is no firm return date, which leaves the picture cloudy for now, and the possibilities range from a second-half debut this month to a longer wait that could push his impact into 2026. Evaluators have had concerns about Ryans health and age, but there is still enough belief in his upside that every step in his rehab matters, especially for a Tigers organization trying to make sure one prospect in the package can help justify the price. [Read more 🡒]