Primetime homecoming: Verlander's 1st start in Detroit set for Sunday Night Baseball

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The next phase of Justin Verlander’s incredible relationship with Detroit will begin under the lights on national television. And much like the Tigers’ home opener, Verlander’s first start back at Comerica Park as a Tiger again has the potential to be an unofficial holiday.

Two days after the Tigers open their home schedule behind Framber Valdez on Friday, April 3, Verlander will make his first start back in a Tigers uniform on Sunday Night Baseball April 5 against the Cardinals. His first pitch is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on Peacock.

It’s a day some have been looking forward to for years, but nearly every Tigers fan has anticipated since Detroit signed Verlander to a one-year contract on Feb. 10.

That anticipation includes the 43-year-old Verlander, who essentially grew up as a player in the Motor City and never lost his connection with it.

“I was there as a player, ‘06 through ‘08, ‘10, just remembering how bad it was in the city and kind of the grit. And I was there through the turnaround; things were really starting to accelerate and change by the time I left,” Verlander said last month. “I think the thing that sticks out to me the most is the way the fans embraced us, particularly in 2006. To buy a ticket and come to a ballgame was a huge expense for a lot of those fans, but it was also a getaway and something to celebrate and cheer for, for a city that was really struggling. That really meant a lot to me.

“Looking back, I was so young, and now my life has changed so much. I've got two kids, I've been married for a while now, and I'm just a different person. And to come back around and have another chance as a different man, to embrace the city that I grew up in front of … you know, people look at athletes and think that they've got it all figured out, and I look back and I was 22 years old, I was a kid just trying to figure things out. Happened to be really good at baseball. But now it's like just such a different experience, and I'm in a different place and just excited to kind of re-experience Detroit in a new mindset.”

The Welcome Back billboards seen around Detroit highways following the announcement of Verlander’s signing showed the excitement around the city.

It’ll mark Verlander’s first start in the Tigers home uniform since Aug. 20, 2017. Eleven days after beating the Dodgers that day, Verlander was traded to Houston. He has made five starts at Comerica Park as a visiting player, most recently May 12, 2024, during his second stint with the Astros. He has tossed 12 scoreless innings over his past two starts in Detroit.

Verlander is the career leader at Comerica Park in most pitching categories. His 101 wins there are more than double the next-highest total, Max Scherzer with 47. Same goes for his 1,193 career strikeouts in the park, compared with Scherzer in second at 534.

The timing of Verlander’s first game came about through his spot in the rotation order. Verlander is set to enter the season as Detroit’s No. 4 starter and make his Tigers return on the road against the Diamondbacks on Monday, March 30. That put him in line to make his second start in the Tigers’ first home series. Had Verlander been slotted as the No. 5 starter, he wouldn’t have been in line to pitch at home until the following weekend against the Marlins.