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Giants Announce Justin Verlander Decision After All-Star Break

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Gavin M. Groe | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 3:48 PM ET

Legendary right-handed starting pitcher Justin Verlander is in his first season as a member of the San Francisco Giants after signing a one-year, $15 million contract before the 2025 season.

The 20-year veteran established himself as one of the greatest pitchers baseball has ever seen during his Hall of Fame career, collecting three Cy Young Awards, an MVP award and nine All-Star Game appearances.

He also won World Series championships in 2017 and 2022 with the Houston Astros.

Over 541 career starts, Verlander has compiled a 262–154 record, a 3.33 ERA and 3,483 strikeouts.

Unfortunately, the 42-year-old right-hander has struggled in 2025 when he has pitched.

He began the season on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation and was later placed back on the IL due to neck discomfort. More recently, he was activated after recovering from a strained right pectoral muscle.

On Thursday, the Giants announced Verlander will start tomorrow night against the Toronto Blue Jays, with the rest of the series to be determined.

Giants say Justin Verlander will start tomorrow night in Toronto. They’re TBA the rest of series.
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) July 17, 2025

Verlander went winless the entire first half of the season, and it appears he may be running out of gas in his legendary career.

In 15 starts, he owns an 0–7 record, a 4.70 ERA and 67 strikeouts over 76.2 innings pitched.

For a Giants team sitting at 52–45 and just 0.5 games back of a playoff spot, Verlander returning to form and becoming a reliable arm in the rotation will be crucial for a team with high expectations in the second half.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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