Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander announced his impending retirement on July 8, expressing his intention to help his team compete down the stretch.
Since then? Not much from the veteran – unless you count an All-Star Game visit, for which he dressed but didn't play.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch addressed Verlander's injury status, saying that the 43-year-old's continued rehab from a hamstring strain has been "really slow" but that the team is still committed to having Verlander pitch in 2026 despite having no firm timetable for his return.
"He's working every day. He's one of the first guys here," Hinch said before teh Tigers' game against the Kansas
City Royals on Saturday, July 25. "He's very committed, and so are we, at getting him right and seeing what he can contribute. There's a lot of time and energy and work going into this everyday, so it hasn't wavered."
Verlander signed a one-year deal with the Tigers ahead of the 2026 season, looking to play a big role with the team that drafted him No. 2 overall in the 2004 MLB Draft. But Verlander has made just one MLB appearance this season, allowing five earned runs in 3⅔ innings in a March 30 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He landed on the injured list five days later with hip inflammation and has been rehabbing ever since, suffering setbacks in bullpen sessions and three minor league rehab starts – the last one on June 10 for Triple-A Toledo.
Verlander lamented a few days after about his latest setback before announcing his retirement plans a couple of weeks after that.
"I've always said that I want to play until the wheels fall off," Verlander said on June 19 after being scratched from a planned start on June 21. "Maybe they are falling off. I hope not. ... If I can't be healthy, and I continue to prove that I can't be healthy, that's something that I have to really evaluate."
But even with a slow rehab process, there's no indication that Verlander has already pitched in his last MLB game.
"If anything, I think he's sort of doubly working to get himself healthy," Hinch said.
Hinch 'aware, more than careful' with Casey Mize
Tigers starter Casey Mize avoided a trip to the injured list after exiting his last start – against the Los Angeles Angels on July 19 – in the fourth inning, after taking a comebacker to the wrist. He's set to start against the Royals on Saturday, when Hinch said he would be "aware, more than careful" about the righty's health.
"I think we've checked every box that we need to to get him to this point, and then now I can treat him pretty formally," he said. "I'm aware that he had a short start. That can impact pitch count, or it can impact his stamina. But at this time of year, these guys are built up so much to handle it. So as long as nothing sounds the alarm bell, so to speak, of, like, pitches aren't going in the right area or the stuff's not the same, we're not expecting any issues."
Mize completed a bullpen session on Wednesday that signaled his readiness for Saturday's start.
"I'm on track, looking forward to Saturday," he said on Thursday. "Checking all the boxes that we need to, and I'm feeling good."
Mize has spent two stints on the injured list this season with a groin injury but has otherwise looked healthy since his most recent return on June 16. By some measures, he has been Detroit's most productive pitcher, leading the team with 2.7 fWAR (per FanGraphs) and a 2.62 FIP entering his Saturday start.
The Tigers can also benefit from a well-rested bullpen to support Mize, thanks in part to ace Tarik Skubal pitching into the eighth inning of Friday's 2-1 win over the Royals and the return of versatile reliever Ty Madden, who was called up Tuesday after righty Jack Flaherty was placed on the injured list.
"Given that Ty is back online and available, what yesterday did for us to reset a large portion of the bullpen, it allows me to be aggressive either competitively or medically," Hinch said.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Justin Verlander injury update: Tigers RHP battling through rehab
