Overview
- Justin Verlander pitched five scoreless innings for Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, allowing four hits, throwing 64 pitches and striking out three while receiving a standing ovation in Des Moines.
- The outing featured strong underlying metrics with 48 strikes, a fastball that averaged 93.5 mph and topped out at 95.1 mph, and 10 swinging strikes generated by his fastball and slider.
- Verlander had been on the injured list with left-hip inflammation since early April and was moved to the 60-day IL on May 10 after limited major-league action this season.
- The Tigers brought Verlander back to Detroit for medical and staff review and manager A.J. Hinch said the club will decide how many more rehab appearances are needed and whether to use him in a potential rotation spot this weekend.
- At 43 and a future Hall of Famer with 266 wins and 3,554 strikeouts, Verlander’s successful live work offers Detroit a near-term option for its rotation and generated heavy fan interest during the Toledo game that was backed by a 16-1 offensive rout.