The last time Justin Verlander pitched in Toledo, he was a 32-year-old Tigers ace working back from a triceps strain to join a Detroit team looking for a fifth consecutive division title. The Triple-A Mud Hens were holding a Jurassic Park promotion that night, and the result was a giant dinosaur mascot delivering the game ball to Verlander before his first pitch.
That was 11 years ago. As the now-43-year-old Verlander took the mound for the Mud Hens on Wednesday night, making his second rehab start as he works back from left hip inflammation, a fan in a dinosaur suit sat behind the dugout to note the occasion. For many, there was a sense of nostalgia, an appreciation for a Hall of Fame career in the parent organization.
For Verlander, however, this was business. And from the stern look on his face to the words he muttered after Gabriel Gonzalez went deep to the opposite field off a fastball for the fourth home run off Verlander for the night, business was tough Wednesday.
While the Tigers absorbed a 6-4 loss to the Twins at Comerica Park, Verlander gave up four runs, all on solo homers, over 5 2/3 innings in a 12-1 loss to the St. Paul Saints, the Twins’ top affiliate. What was hoped to be a final step before adding Verlander back into the Tigers' rotation instead raised questions about whether the rehab process will continue.
The outing came just more than a week after Verlander's previous rehab start on June 2, when he tossed five scoreless innings on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts for the Mud Hens at Iowa. Detroit opted for another rehab outing.
Result-wise, Wednesday was a step back. Verlander allowed home runs to Aaron Sabato leading off the second inning and Kyler Fedko in the third, both on sliders. He settled down for scoreless innings in the third and fourth, striking out a batter in each, before Matt Wallner and Gonzalez hit back-to-back homers leading off the sixth.
Verlander threw 86 pitches, 53 for strikes. His fastball averaged 92.9 mph, down from last week, as his velocity faded late. He topped out at 95.5 mph, a half-tick harder than last week. The fastball accounted for four of his six swing-and-misses along with four of his nine called strikes.
Verlander’s slider was inconsistent, evidenced by the home runs, but also drew four called strikes. The Saints averaged 92 mph in exit velocity.
The Tigers have given no clear indication of what will happen from here. If Wednesday were Verlander's last rehab start, he would be on track to return to Detroit's rotation in a familiar place: Houston, where he pitched seven seasons. The Tigers visit the Astros for a three-game series beginning Monday at Daikin Park, where Verlander hasn’t pitched since his final season with the Astros in 2024.
Detroit could also extend his rehab assignment. It's currently just more than a week into what would be a maximum of 30 days. With Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize likely returning from the injured list this weekend after having thrown rehab outings over the past few days, the Tigers are in a good position in terms of available starters.
With seven potential starters by this point next week, the big question in recent days was who would be the odd man out, even if Detroit moves to a six-man rotation. An extended rehab for Verlander could render that question moot.
Wednesday's results were similar for rehabbing Tigers closer Kenley Jansen, who pitched the seventh inning for Toledo in his first rehab outing since going on the injured list May 28 with right groin tightness. Jansen retired his first two batters, including a strikeout of former Oriole David Bañuelos, before giving up a ground-ball single, a stolen base, a four-pitch walk, a wild pitch and a two-run single from Wallner.
Jansen finished with three runs allowed on two hits in two-thirds of an inning, with a walk and a strikeout. He threw 22 pitches, 12 for strikes, including three whiffs on nine swings.