My Blog

Tag: Detroit Tigers

  • Tigers’ Justin Verlander gets date for return to mound

    The Detroit Tigers just had Jack Flaherty land on the injured list with a leg injury, and they will now get Justin Verlander back in the rotation to face the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

     

    Verlander will be up against one of the hottest teams in the AL as well as one of the youngest in MLB with an average age of 25.8.

     

    The 43-year-old three-time Cy Young winner has been recovering from left hip inflammation. He only made one start on March 30 this season and has been sidelined from action ever since.

     

    He had a rough outing in his season debut, giving up five runs and allowing eight baserunners across 3.2 innings. He landed on the IL on April 4 (retroactive to April 1), when he was experiencing pain in his left hip.

     

    What to expect from Justin Verlander returning to the rotation

    Verlander built up his stamina in Triple-A Toledo, pitching a solid four-tinning simulated game on Monday to demonstrate his readiness to return. Manager A.J. Hinch talked about his veteran starter returning to the mound.

     

    “This is the next step. He’s worked hard to get back to this point. We’ve pushed him. We’ve pushed the volume; we’ve pushed the intensity. And that adrenaline that he talks about and the energy that comes with that start will be good for him,” Hinch said, via MLB.com’s Steve Schaeffer. “And I think it’ll be good for us.”

     

    Verlander hasn’t pitched for the Tigers at Comerica Park since Aug. 20, 2017, but he’ll make his return on Father’s Day.

     

    In his first rehab start, he tossed 64 pitches in five scoreless innings. His second rehab start wasn’t as sharp, as he gave up five hits, four home runs, two walks and threw 86 pitches in 5.2 innings. His fastball averaged at 92.9 mph and topped at 95.5 mph. His fastball also accounted for four of his six swinging strikes, and his average exit velocity hit 92 mph.

     

    Patience will be required as he attempts to adjust to MLB action. The Tigers have had several starters return to the rotation and are looking to implement a possible six-man rotation in order to allow for more rest between starts to keep their starters’ arms sharp. As well, Verlander will provide leadership to younger arms in the rotation such as Troy Melton or Keider Montero.

     

    Vanessa Serrao

     

    Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

  • Tigers’ Justin Verlander gets date for return to mound

    The Detroit Tigers just had Jack Flaherty land on the injured list with a leg injury, and they will now get Justin Verlander back in the rotation to face the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

     

    Verlander will be up against one of the hottest teams in the AL as well as one of the youngest in MLB with an average age of 25.8.

     

    The 43-year-old three-time Cy Young winner has been recovering from left hip inflammation. He only made one start on March 30 this season and has been sidelined from action ever since.

     

    He had a rough outing in his season debut, giving up five runs and allowing eight baserunners across 3.2 innings. He landed on the IL on April 4 (retroactive to April 1), when he was experiencing pain in his left hip.

     

    What to expect from Justin Verlander returning to the rotation

    Verlander built up his stamina in Triple-A Toledo, pitching a solid four-tinning simulated game on Monday to demonstrate his readiness to return. Manager A.J. Hinch talked about his veteran starter returning to the mound.

     

    “This is the next step. He’s worked hard to get back to this point. We’ve pushed him. We’ve pushed the volume; we’ve pushed the intensity. And that adrenaline that he talks about and the energy that comes with that start will be good for him,” Hinch said, via MLB.com’s Steve Schaeffer. “And I think it’ll be good for us.”

     

    Verlander hasn’t pitched for the Tigers at Comerica Park since Aug. 20, 2017, but he’ll make his return on Father’s Day.

     

    In his first rehab start, he tossed 64 pitches in five scoreless innings. His second rehab start wasn’t as sharp, as he gave up five hits, four home runs, two walks and threw 86 pitches in 5.2 innings. His fastball averaged at 92.9 mph and topped at 95.5 mph. His fastball also accounted for four of his six swinging strikes, and his average exit velocity hit 92 mph.

     

    Patience will be required as he attempts to adjust to MLB action. The Tigers have had several starters return to the rotation and are looking to implement a possible six-man rotation in order to allow for more rest between starts to keep their starters’ arms sharp. As well, Verlander will provide leadership to younger arms in the rotation such as Troy Melton or Keider Montero.

     

    Vanessa Serrao

     

    Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

  • Tigers’ Justin Verlander gets date for return to mound

    The Detroit Tigers just had Jack Flaherty land on the injured list with a leg injury, and they will now get Justin Verlander back in the rotation to face the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

     

    Verlander will be up against one of the hottest teams in the AL as well as one of the youngest in MLB with an average age of 25.8.

     

    The 43-year-old three-time Cy Young winner has been recovering from left hip inflammation. He only made one start on March 30 this season and has been sidelined from action ever since.

     

    He had a rough outing in his season debut, giving up five runs and allowing eight baserunners across 3.2 innings. He landed on the IL on April 4 (retroactive to April 1), when he was experiencing pain in his left hip.

     

    What to expect from Justin Verlander returning to the rotation

    Verlander built up his stamina in Triple-A Toledo, pitching a solid four-tinning simulated game on Monday to demonstrate his readiness to return. Manager A.J. Hinch talked about his veteran starter returning to the mound.

     

    “This is the next step. He’s worked hard to get back to this point. We’ve pushed him. We’ve pushed the volume; we’ve pushed the intensity. And that adrenaline that he talks about and the energy that comes with that start will be good for him,” Hinch said, via MLB.com’s Steve Schaeffer. “And I think it’ll be good for us.”

     

    Verlander hasn’t pitched for the Tigers at Comerica Park since Aug. 20, 2017, but he’ll make his return on Father’s Day.

     

    In his first rehab start, he tossed 64 pitches in five scoreless innings. His second rehab start wasn’t as sharp, as he gave up five hits, four home runs, two walks and threw 86 pitches in 5.2 innings. His fastball averaged at 92.9 mph and topped at 95.5 mph. His fastball also accounted for four of his six swinging strikes, and his average exit velocity hit 92 mph.

     

    Patience will be required as he attempts to adjust to MLB action. The Tigers have had several starters return to the rotation and are looking to implement a possible six-man rotation in order to allow for more rest between starts to keep their starters’ arms sharp. As well, Verlander will provide leadership to younger arms in the rotation such as Troy Melton or Keider Montero.

     

    Vanessa Serrao

     

    Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

  • Just In: How Latest Update on Tarik Skubal Trade Rumors Impacts AL Playoff Picture

    Any MLB team interested in trying to acquire Detroit Tigers star pitcher Tarik Skubal might not enjoy the latest update on the likelihood of a trade in the near future.

    Skubal is entering his final year under contract with the Tigers as a back-to-back Cy Young Award winner and one of the best pitchers in baseball. He’s coming off consecutive seasons with a sub-2.40 ERA, 31 starts made, at least 192 innings pitched, and over 225 strikeouts.

    That makes the notion of the Tigers even possibly contemplating moving Skubal elsewhere incredibly intriguing. But for now, the odds of the 29-year-old being dealt this year are “not great,” according to New York Post columnist Jon Heyman. The MLB Network insider said the price of a Skubal trade is “understandably high” and added “it would take a lot” to get a deal done.

    Whether Skubal remains with the Tigers for at least this season or is traded to another team, either outcome will undoubtedly have a massive impact on the league’s playoff picture in 2026.

    What the AL Central race looks like with and without Skubal

    It may sound simplistic, but if Skubal remains with Detroit for all of 2026, the Tigers should be considered one of the favorites to win the American League Central. They came just one game short of achieving that feat last year, and that was after Detroit’s late-season collapse in conjunction with a remarkable second-half push by the Cleveland Guardians. The Tigers got the last laugh, though, by eliminating Cleveland in the Wild Card Series.

    But the AL Central race and playoff picture as a whole could drastically shift if another team offers the substantial prospect package reportedly necessary to pry Skubal from Detroit. If the two-time Cy Young Award winner were to be traded outside of the AL Central, that would seemingly give the Guardians and Kansas City Royals better odds of claiming a division title. And that’s not even factoring in Skubal’s potential destination.

    If Skubal got sent to an AL East or AL West contender, that would have huge ramifications on those division races. If he’s dealt to an NL team, the entire playoff picture in both leagues is altered as well. While it’s difficult to get too specific when dealing with pure speculation, it’s no exaggeration to say Skubal is the type of pitcher who’s talented enough to affect the entire league’s standings based on which team he calls home in 2026.

    And with each pitch he throws this year, Skubal could have a massive impact on the free agent pitcher market next offseason, as well as his own contract negotiations if an in-season extension isn’t reached.