Tigers Announce Justin Verlander As Saturday’s Starter

The Tigers announced that Justin Verlander will start Saturday’s game. It will be the final start of his excellent career. He will need to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list but the Tigers have several candidates to head onto the 60-day IL, thus opening a 40-man spot for him.

It will largely be a ceremonial start but it should be a joyous occasion nonetheless. The Tigers signed Verlander in the offseason after he spent several years with other clubs but he still hasn’t been able to take the mound in Detroit since signing that pact. He made just one start this year, on the road, before hitting the injured list with inflammation in his left hip. His path back to the club was then blocked by a hamstring strain.

In July, he announced that he would retire after this season. Since then, he has been trying to get back into game shape while the club has fallen from contention. The Tigers are out of the postseason picture now and will be playing the Pirates this weekend, another club that has been eliminated. There won’t be anything at stake, which isn’t a great thing for the Tigers in the grand scheme of things, but one benefit is that it gives them the freedom to send Verlander out there and not worry about the results.

It probably won’t be a long start as he isn’t stretched out. He hasn’t been on a minor league rehab assignment recently. He just threw a one-inning simulated game on Friday. Today, he threw a bullpen session and felt good, per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic.

For the fans, it gives them a chance to show up and cheer for Verlander one last time. He was drafted by the club in 2004 and was a staple of the roster through 2017, when he was traded to the Astros. Along the way, he racked up multiple All-Star selections, a Rookie of the Year award, an MVP award, a Cy Young award, and many statistical titles as well. He has continued to accrue accolades since leaving Detroit, suiting up for the Astros, Mets and Giants.

Last year, Verlander posted a 3.85 earned run average in 29 starts for the Giants. The Tigers re-signing him was initially a move aimed at legitimately improving the club, as opposed to being purely sentimental. But the combination of his injuries and the club’s general underperformance have pushed the circumstances in that direction. It’s not what anyone hoped for six months ago but it should make for a special day at the ballpark nonetheless.