The Detroit Tigers placed veteran pitcher Justin Verlander on the 15-day injured list Saturday due to left hip inflammation. The move is retroactive to Wednesday, making him eligible to return as soon as April 16. Verlander had been set to start Sunday night against the St. Louis Cardinals at Comerica Park.
Verlander, who signed a one-year free agent contract with the Tigers in February, struggled in his return start Monday at Arizona, allowing five runs on six hits over 3 2/3 innings. He first noticed tightness near his left hamstring during that outing, which worsened afterward. Despite improvement, a Saturday bullpen session revealed he was still tentative in his delivery, prompting the decision to rest him longer early in the season, manager A.J. Hinch said. Verlander agreed, noting it was not the time of year to push through. Tigers officials emphasized ensuring he feels fully right before returning. The 43-year-old received a warm welcome from fans Friday night, including a standing ovation during introductions and catching a ceremonial pitch. Many had purchased special Verlander Homecoming ticket packages, including T-shirts, anticipating his Sunday appearance. Verlander spoke with the organization about compensating those fans, and they plan to address it. Right-hander Keider Montero was recalled from Triple-A Toledo to take the mound Sunday. Montero had pitched four scoreless innings with three strikeouts in his season debut for the Mud Hens on March 29.