KANSAS CITY -- Justin Verlander has almost a season’s worth of starts (24) at Kauffman Stadium over his career, second only to Cleveland’s Progressive Field amongst road parks for him. So maybe it was fitting that Verlander’s first simulated game on his road back to the Tigers’ rotation was here on Saturday.
It wasn’t a big leap forward in his rehab from left hip inflammation, but it was progress.
“Pretty good,” Verlander said afterwards. “Not as good as I’d like it to be, but physically it was another step in the right direction. Checked the box today and keep moving forward.”
Verlander threw his full arsenal in 38 pitches across two simulated innings, facing four Tigers batters twice each. He got four swings and misses but not a strikeout and gave up some solid contact, while also showing command. He got feedback from Hao-Yu Lee, one of the hitters he faced, then talked at length with pitching coach Chris Fetter and manager A.J. Hinch. He also caught up with Royals third-base coach Vance Wilson, one of his former catchers during his rookie season in Detroit in 2006, and Salvador Perez.
“He started to talk a lot more about baseball things and pitching things and mechanics and what his pitches are doing, as opposed to entirely about the rehab,” Hinch said. “So that’s a good sign.”
From an endurance standpoint, it was a step forward. From a mechanical standpoint, it was a mixed bag implementing some of the adjustments he made during bullpen sessions over the last week or two.
“Still a work in progress,” Verlander said. “I think it wasn’t as good as I would’ve liked, but it was still better than where it was.”
Hinch said his second inning was better than his first.
“He was relatively pleased with it,” Hinch said, “but always sort of wanting more. So, vintage Justin Verlander. We’ll continue to give him more and set up another session for him.”