CHICAGO – Justin Verlander passed another hurdle in his attempt to pitch again for the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.
The veteran right-hander threw a one-inning simulated game against two teammates at Rate Field on Friday, Sept. 18, and the Tigers were encouraged by his performance. If Verlander has no setbacks, he is on track to pitch the final weekend of the regular season at Comerica Park.
“I think it was as quality of work as we could expect and what we needed to take the next step,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “So it was encouraging to see him on the mound and have hitters. He worked really fast. It was just a one-inning stint, but he got a lot accomplished.”
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Verlander faced right-handed Ben Malgeri and left-handed Brett Callahan, two rookies.
“He got a lot of swing-and-miss,” Hinch said. “He didn't show any reservation and he didn't hold much back. So, I really liked his day. Now, we have got to pay attention to recovery and how the next few days go.”
The Tigers have not said when Verlander might pitch.
But Hinch did offer a clue.
“The quality of the work was exactly what we would have wanted a week ahead of time before we hopefully have him on the mound,” Hinch said.
The Tigers are holding a two-day celebration of Verlander's career when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sept. 25-26, at Comerica Park. The celebration includes two giveaways – a Verlander bobblehead for Friday's game and a long-sleeved hooded jersey for Saturday's game.
Jack Flaherty heading to Toledo
Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty was in the clubhouse in Chicago, packing his bag on Friday afternoon, getting ready to head to Triple-A Toledo to pitch Saturday.
Flaherty has been working to return to the Tigers, hoping to help them get to the postseason. Now, with that possibility down to the slimmest of chances, he’s just hoping to appear in one more game with the Tigers next week.
“One more with these guys at some point next week,” he said. “Everything feels good.”
Flaherty is a free agent after this season, following two seasons in his second stint with the franchise.
Explanation on Kyle Finnegan
The Tigers placed right-handed reliever Kyle Finnegan on the 15-day injured list with a groin issue on Thursday, bringing up Ty Madden.
So, when did Finnegan experience the problem?
“He never really reported much until those outings in Toronto,” Hinch said. “I know, especially veteran relievers, it's on again, off again, you know, where you feel things. And I asked him point blank if I put him in while he was injured, because that's something that I was concerned about. The second outing, I saw the velocity was down, and we saw him grimacing a little bit more, and he said no. So, I want him to speak for himself as to how he felt physically. But I could tell that something was off in his last outing.”
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Justin Verlander injury update: More progress toward return
