A big outing looms for Justin Verlander at Comerica Park this week: the 43-year-old right-hander is lined up to throw another simulated game in his recovery from the left hip inflammation that's sidelined him since early April. The last one, at Comerica Park last Wednesday, didn't so go well: Verlander allowed three homers over four innings while facing Jahmai Jones, Wenceel Perez and Zack Short.
"He was a little gassed at the end of the four innings," A.J. Hinch said the next day on 97.1 The Ticket, "and that wasn’t even really a full game. So we’re working through that."
Verlander also recorded three strikeouts and pushed his velocity into the mid 90's, but it wasn't the clear step forward that either he or the Tigers were hoping for.
"It went OK," said Hinch. "It’s not where he wants it to be or where we can advance him a ton, so we’re going to, again, continue to try to build his tolerance. He was at 60 pitches yesterday. That’s not where he would even leave spring training yet, so this one’s frustrating him and frustrating a lot of us, because it’s not advancing at a great pace. I don’t know if it’s because of the type of injury or it’s just the ramp-up. He still has a few symptoms and we’re trying to get through that."
Verlander followed up his sim game by throwing a bullpen last weekend when the Tigers were in Baltimore. With the team back in town for three games against the Angels before a six-game road trip, the plan is for Verlander to face live hitters again sometime this week. The idea is to get him up and down as many times as possible, to replicate the flow of an actual game.
"And then he’s going to go on a rehab assignment somewhere as well," said Hinch. "He’s gotta go get competitive and see if (with) the adrenaline, he can keep his endurance."
Verlander is eligible to come off the 60-day injured list as soon as May 31, but a more realistic target for his return -- barring any setbacks -- is sometime in the first couple weeks of June. He was hit hard in his only start of the season, March 30 at the Diamondbacks.
