Tigers' Justin Verlander spins 5 shutout innings in Toledo rehab start
Justin Verlander made his first start for the Toledo Mud Hens in nearly 11 years on Tuesday night. It was a good one. Verlander, making a rehab start for the Triple-A affiliate as he works his way back from left hip inflammation that has limited him to one appearance for the Det
Justin Verlander made his first start for the Toledo Mud Hens in nearly 11 years on Tuesday night. It was a good one.
Verlander, making a rehab start for the Triple-A affiliate as he works his way back from left hip inflammation that has limited him to one appearance for the Detroit Tigers this season, spun five scoreless innings in Toledo's 16-1 rout of the Iowa Cubs at Principal Park in Des Moines, Iowa.
The 43-year-old righthander threw 64 pitches, including 48 for strikes. He allowed four hits, and struck out three. Media reports say his fastball topped out at 95.1 mph.
It's the first game action for Verlander, who signed a one-year, $13 million deal to return to the Tigers, since a March 30 start at the Arizona Diamondbacks in which he allowed five earned runs in 3.2 innings in a 9-6 loss. He went on the injured list on April 4 with left hip inflammation, and has been throwing bullpen sessions and simulated games in ramping up for a return to game action.
It's unclear how many rehab appearances Verlander will need before returning to Detroit, though Tigers manager AJ Hinch told reporters over the weekend in Chicago that Verlander will return to Detroit on Wednesday, where his progress will be reassessed and the club will determine next steps.
When he does return to the Tigers, he'll resume a surefire Hall-of-Fame career that started in Detroit, where he spent 11-plus seasons and won American League Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards in 2011 and made six All-Star Game appearances before he was dealt to the Houston Astros at the 2017 trade deadline.
Verlander's time with Toledo, meanwhile, was brief: Two starts in late May and early June of 2015, totaling 8.1 innings, with four runs allowed (three earned) on 10 hits, two walks and a hit batsman. He struck out 12. He made his major-league debut with the Tigers after that, on June 13, 2015.
On Tuesday, Verlander was aided by a 19-hit Toledo attack that incuded an eight-run fifth inning. Tigers top prospect Max Clark belted one of the Mud Hens' four home runs, with Max Anderson adding a two-run shot among four hits and four RBIs.
