Houston — Manager AJ Hinch was kind of sneaky about it.
He was answering a question about Keider Montero working out of the bullpen this week and whether he would stay in the bullpen.
“For today and tomorrow and into the next series, he knows that (the bullpen) will be his role,” Hinch said. “Tarik Skubal will start Friday and we would love to have Troy Melton start Saturday. Justin Verlander will start on Sunday.”
Wait. Come again?
The time has finally come. Out since April 1 with hip inflammation, the 43-year-old Verlander, who returned to Detroit on a one-year, $13 million deal, will make his first start as a Tiger at Comerica Park since 2017 in the finale against the White Sox.
“He has responded better and better after his outings,” Hinch said. “The big key is holding his stuff and holding his delivery. But this is the next step. He has worked hard to get back to this point and we’ve pushed him. We pushed the volume and the intensity. It’s time to challenge him even more with a game.”
Verlander made his feelings known on the subject after throwing a 66-pitch sim game here on Monday. He was ready.
“I don’t think there’s much more to sharpen,” he said on Sunday. “I just need to pitch. It’s been a long time. It’s been a hard process but at this point, as close as I am, it’s just time to go pitch.”
Hinch and Verlander met before the game Tuesday to finalize the plan.
“The adrenaline he talks about and the energy that comes with this start will be good for him and good for us,” Hinch said.
Verlander, three-time Cy Young winner and two-time World Series champion, was supposed to make his first home start on April 5 in a nationally-televised game against the Cardinals. He debuted in Arizona on March 30, allowing five runs in 3.2 innings.
“The home start is the one I’m really looking forward to,” Verlander said last week. “I was really looking forward to being back on the mound at Comerica.”
It’s shaping up to be a big weekend, with both Skubal and Verlander pitching against a White Sox team that’s been hovering at the top of the Central Division standings all year.
Melton still needs to clear a couple of medical hurdles before Saturday. He was scratched Monday with general back tightness. But he was on the field early Tuesday stretching and running.
“He’s a little better,” Hinch said. “We have the off day on Thursday and his next scheduled start would be Saturday. If all things can progress to that day, we will be thrilled. But he has a few things he has to do before we can definitely say he can make that start. But today was a good step toward being normal.”
Second baseman Gleyber Torres was not in the lineup and likely not available Tuesday. He left the game in the second inning Monday after feeling discomfort in his side after taking a swing. The Tigers currently have an extra position player (Hao-Yu Lee) so they could give it an extra day or two before making any kind of move.
“We are still getting some opinions on him,” Hinch said. “He feels better than he did yesterday, but not 100 percent to start or do much activity. We’re going to give ourselves some time. We still feel like we have a full bench and he’s still symptomatic.”
This is the second time Torres has tweaked something in his side. He missed most of the month of May with an oblique strain.
Tigers at Astros
First pitch: 2:10 p.m. Wednesday, Daikin Park, Houston
TV/radio: Detroit Sports Net, 97.1 FM
Scouting report
RHP Casey Mize (2-3, 2.27), Tigers: It will be 21 days since his last start, which made the rainout extra cruel on Sunday since it made him wait three extra days. His season was interrupted for a second time because of a groin strain, which clouds the fact he’s been sensational this season. He’s allowed two runs or less in eight of his nine starts, holding hitters to a slash line of .200/.254/.318 with a career-high 26.55 strikeout rate.
RHP Peter Lambert (5-4, 3.47), Astros: It’s been a journey for the 29-year-old. From Tommy John surgery in 2020, to spending parts of seven seasons in Triple A, to spending a year in Japan. But he might’ve found a home. He is 3-0 in his last four starts (3.32 ERA). He has a six-pitch mix, but he leans on his 94-mph, riding four-seamer, changeup (40% whiff) and 2,600-rpm slider. He has stark reverse splits: righties are slugging .500 with an .821 OPS while lefties are scuffling at .151 slug and .446 OPS.
Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Justin Verlander to return to Tigers rotation against White Sox
Reporting by Chris McCosky, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Chris McCosky, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
