Jason Burgos
The Detroit Tigers quickly found out why having a 43-year-old Justin Verlander in their rotation will be a problem.
There were a lot of fascinating storylines that came out of the MLB offseason. Such as Kyle Tucker signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Alex Bregman going to the Chicago Cubs. However, one of the feel-good moments came when Verlander decided to return to the city where he became a household name, Detroit.
Verlander is top 10 in many of the franchise’s all-time pitching categories after playing 14 seasons for the team. The second overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft earned six of his nine All-Star appearances in Detroit, as well as won the AL Cy Young, Triple Crown, and MVP award in a Tigers uniform in 2011. That is why his return to team up with reigning CY Young Tarik Skubal in a formidable rotation excited many long-time fans.
Justin Verlander misses Detroit Tigers start, headed to IL
Well, Tigers fans will have to wait a bit longer to see the two team greats pitch in the same rotation. “Detroit Tigers great Justin Verlander, who was scheduled to make his first start Sunday night at Comerica Park since 2017, is now going on the 15-day IL with left hip inflammation,” USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale reported on Saturday.
Verlander turned 43 in February and is pitching in his 21 first season in MLB. Unsurprisingly, he has dealt with a variety of injuries due to the wear-and-tear on his body. Including a low-grade teres major strain in his right shoulder in 2023, inflammation in the same shoulder and neck discomfort in 2024, a pectoral injury last year, and now the hip inflammation this season.
If the hip inflammation had forced his start back a few days, then no biggie. However, going from ready to pitch to the injured list and out for two weeks in a snap is why making Verlander part of the rotation was a big risk for the Tigers. Hopefully, this isn’t the beginning of more issues for the legendary future Hall of Famer.
