DETROIT -- Justin Verlander will make another rehab start for Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday, putting him in line to potentially return to the Tigers' rotation the following week at another familiar spot: Houston.
Verlander, who tossed five scoreless innings with three strikeouts for the Mud Hens last Tuesday at Iowa, will get another start to build up his workload as he continues to work back from a left hip injury that sidelined him since the end of March.
The move means Verlander won’t make his highly anticipated return to Comerica Park this homestand. The Tigers are sticking with their current four-man rotation for the upcoming series against the Twins, sending Troy Melton, Framber Valdez and Keider Montero to the mound. Instead of facing the Twins, Verlander will face their Triple-A affiliate, the St. Paul Saints, who visit Fifth Third Field for a six-game series starting Tuesday night.
The Tigers hit the road from there, starting with a three-game weekend series in Cleveland that could prove critical to Detroit’s chances of climbing back into the division race. Tarik Skubal, who makes a rehab start on Sunday at High-A West Michigan, is on track to return for that series. So could Casey Mize, who’s scheduled to make a rehab start on Tuesday for Single-A Lakeland at Clearwater.
Instead of a Detroit return, Verlander could get a visit to another old home, Daikin Park. The Tigers have a three-game series there beginning June 15 against the Astros, who could bring Verlander’s old teammate and Detroit native Hunter Brown back from the injured list during that series.
By that point, Verlander should be well stretched out. He threw 64 pitches across his five innings last Tuesday for the Mud Hens, but will try to stretch out towards around 75 pitches this time around.
“Obviously, I would like to pitch [in the big leagues next], but I also was too efficient, I guess,” Verlander said. “Kind of did too well, so they want some more volume, and I think that’s fair.”
On the flip side, the efficiency and effectiveness was the product of the work Verlander had been putting in and is now getting into muscle memory.
“I think some of the mechanical things I’ve been working on, I started to see in the mechanics in the game,” Verlander said. “That was good. It felt pretty normal. It was a pretty smooth start, so that helps.”