Per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Detroit Tigers‘ starter Justin Verlander us heading to the Injured List with left hip inflammation.
Justin Verlander was preparing to make his first start in Comerica Park since 2017 on Sunday night in what would have been JV’s second start with Detroit.
Being that Verlander is 43-years-old, he isn’t being called on to be the ace of the Tigers staff, but this injury news will test the depth of Detroit’s staff early in the campaign.
GettyPHOENIX, ARIZONA – MARCH 30: Starter Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of the home opener at Chase Field on March 30, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
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Tigers’ Justin Verlander Heads to IL with hip inflammation
It’s a 15-day IL stint for Verlander as he will work to rehab this hip ailment. That means, at minimum, he will miss his next three scheduled starts. The roster move is retroactive to April 1 as well.
Keider Montero is the corresponding roster move, as the right-hander has been brought up from Triple-A.
Perhaps MLB’s most decorated active pitcher, Verlander decided to put the Tigers uniform on again for year 21 of his career. He’s a 9X All-Star, 3X Cy Young, multiple-time World Series winner, and ERA title holder. Verlander’s baseball reference page is littered with black ink, which highlights his dominance for many decades in MLB.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – MARCH 30: Starter Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of the home opener at Chase Field on March 30, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
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Justin Verlander Had a Rocky First Start with Detroit
It could have been due to this hip injury, but Justin Verlander didn’t give his best outing in his first start back with the Tigers.
Against the Diamondbacks earlier this week, Verlander was only able to go 3.2 innings and gave up five earned runs on six hits.
Verlander has amassed 3,500+ strikeouts over his career, and has 266 pitcher wins. He returned on a one-year, $7.86 million contract.
Detroit might want to think about making a trade or free agent signing in the wake of this news, especially if it could figure to be a longer recovery timeline.
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