DETROIT -- The Tigers already announced their plans to celebrate Justin Verlander’s career on the final weekend of the regular season. They’re getting closer to getting Verlander on track to pitch in it, one final outing for a 21-year career where it all began.
It’s still a work in progress, but the Tigers and Verlander are aiming to have him ready to pitch on Saturday, Sept. 26, the next-to-last day of the regular season and the final day of the Verlander Career Celebration the Tigers announced earlier this month. His mound session Saturday puts him on track for a return.
The Tigers have Verlander on a schedule based around that target date. He’ll throw a couple bullpen sessions this week before throwing a simulated game next weekend in Chicago. If all goes well, they’ll line him up for the final Saturday.
“In pencil, we’re aiming for that last weekend, which we know is going to be an emotional, important weekend for him,” manager A.J. Hinch said Sunday morning. “But also, if we can get him in that series, roughly on that Saturday, that would be at that seven-day cadence.
“He’s got a lot of mound sessions between then. He’s got some questions to answer. I’m cautious to throw it out there too firm because a lot of things can happen between now and then.”
Verlander hasn’t pitched at Comerica Park as a Tiger since Aug. 20, 2017, 11 days before his trade to the Astros. His return has been anticipated ever since he signed a one-year deal with the Tigers in February. But his only outing so far this year was a March 30 start at Arizona. He went on the injured list after that with left hip inflammation, postponing his Comerica Park return. He was set to return from the IL at home in June, but a left hamstring strain postponed that.
The closest Verlander has come to pitching again in Detroit was a rehab start at Triple-A Toledo on June 10.
“He’s really battling,” Hinch said. “But we can’t have a setback of any sort, and I don’t want to make a false promise.”