The Detroit Tigers beat the Seattle Mariners, 5-4, on Sunday, June 7, in the finale of the three-game series at Comerica Park, with the Tigers winning five of six games in the month of June.
The Tigers have a 27-39 record.
With 96 games remaining, they’re 9½ games behind the first-place Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central, and they’re 5½ games back of the third and final AL wild-card spot.
How does Justin Verlander really feel about delayed return?
Justin Verlander understands the Tigers’ decision.
That doesn’t mean he likes it.
The 43-year-old right-hander will make a second start in his rehab assignment Wednesday with Triple-A Toledo at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio, even though he threw five scoreless innings on 64 pitches in his first rehab start as he recovers from left hip inflammation.
Verlander checked nearly every box.
“I felt really good about it,” Verlander said. “Game action went as well as I could’ve expected.”
He threw 48 of 64 pitches for strikes, maxed out at 95.1 mph with his fastball (while averaging 93.5 mph) and wasn’t disrupted by a long delay from an eight-run fourth inning by the Mud Hens’ offense. He generated 10 whiffs on 38 swings for a 26.3% whiff rate, with five whiffs apiece from his fastball and slider.
Most importantly, Verlander completed five scoreless innings without any health setbacks.
So why isn’t he returning to the Tigers?
Volume.
“The first part is you have to be ready physically for the demands in the big leagues that are different than they are in Triple-A,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “The second part is the rotation has to be ready for this onslaught of new starters that are coming back, and we will be.”
The Tigers want Verlander to build his workload by pitching into the sixth inning on 70-80 pitches before activating him from the injured list, where he has been since April 1 after just one start for the Tigers in 2026.
“The volume is the last box to check,” Verlander said.
Verlander wishes he could return to the Tigers for Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park, especially since he hasn’t made a home start for the Tigers since Aug. 20, 2017.
But that’s not what’s going to happen.
The second rehab start will delay his comeback by roughly one week, lining him up to return to the Tigers on June 15 or June 16 against the Houston Astros – his team from 2017-24 – at Daikin Park.
“I don’t know what the right way is,” Verlander said. “You guys have to talk to A.J. and the organization about that. Obviously, I want to be out there. I understand the volume thing. When we’re about to go into a stretch with a bunch of games in a row and no off days, you don’t want to go out there and all of a sudden, you haven’t stressed yourself, and then you have to come out early and put your bullpen in a hole. I understand the volume. I definitely want to be out there. This has been way longer than anybody anticipated early on. I really made some adjustments in the last few weeks and have really responded well. I’m definitely anxious to be in the uniform just pitching.”
Reaction to Kevin McGonigle after walk-off hit
In Sunday’s game, Kevin McGonigle – a 21-year-old shortstop who is the favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year – delivered a walk-off two-run single against right-handed reliever Andrés Muñoz in the ninth inning. He ripped an up-and-in 99.2 mph fastball into right field, driving in both runners in scoring position.
It was the first walk-off hit of his MLB career.
“Let’s go!” McGonigle shouted as he walked toward his locker in the clubhouse, where reporters awaited his arrival.
“We got the right guy up at the right time,” Hinch said. “We earned it. We had a ton of opportunities. The last opportunity was the most important with the right guy. I love this win for this team.”
Everyone had something to say about McGonigle.
“In order to put your best swing on the right pitches, you got to be under control – Kevin was,” Hinch said. “It’s the maturity that we’re learning over the first few months here. He can take some big swings. He’s never not going to do damage. He can do it all. In those moments, controlling your breathing, controlling your setup, controlling your pitches. Not trying to do too much, you might do just enough.”
“He’s different,” said outfielder Wenceel Pérez, who sparked the Tigers with a two-run triple in the seventh inning. “He’s [expletive] different. He’s a great player. I’m glad he’s on our team.”
“It’s so mental to me, seeing how mature he is,” said Vierling, who set up McGonigle’s walk-off two-run single by putting the ball in play to create an opportunity with two runners into scoring position. “Obviously, there’s so much talent and everything, but the mental part of it – he’s able to be mature and confident at this level. It’s awesome to watch him every day.”
“Every game, no matter what our record is, is a must win,” McGonigle said. “You can be in a hole, or you can be up by a lot of games. It doesn’t really matter. The whole point of this game is to go out and do whatever you can to help your team win. Everyone in here has that mindset, so we’re going to continue to have that mindset and carry that into our next series.”
Reading between the lines of Tarik Skubal’s comments
Tarik Skubal knows the plan.
The Tigers know the plan.
But nobody is ready to say it yet.
The reigning two-time American League Cy Young winner completed five scoreless innings Sunday in a rehab start with High-A West Michigan at LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park, throwing 54 pitches before adding extra work in the bullpen to build volume. The 29-year-old left-hander topped out at 99 mph with his fastball, threw 81.5% of pitches for strikes and blew away the lower-level hitters with 16 swings and misses.
His rehab start occurred exactly one month and one day after the new NanoScope procedure from Dr. Neal ElAttrache removed a bone chip from his left elbow – and significantly shortened his recovery timeline, from three months to less than one and half months.
The Tigers expect a one-and-done rehab assignment, putting Skubal on track to return as early as Friday’s opener of what feels like a must-sweep three-game series against the Guardians at Progressive Field.
“Hopefully, it’s a one-start stint,” Hinch said, “and he can come back to the big leagues.”
Skubal wouldn’t confirm that timeline.
“That’s a good question that I’m not going to answer,” Skubal said. “There’s a plan in place. I need to wake up and feel good tomorrow and have a good week of work, then we’ll make that decision.”
All signs point to Skubal rejoining the Tigers on Friday or Saturday in Cleveland.
That’s what matters.
“It doesn’t really do me any good to tell you guys when I’m pitching next,” said Skubal, who registered a 2.70 ERA in seven starts before the minimally invasive elbow surgery. “I need to make sure that I bounce back from this one really well.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers takeaways: Justin Verlander reacts to delayed return
Reporting by Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
