Justin Verlander pitched five scoreless innings for the Toledo Mud Hens on Tuesday night in his first Triple-A appearance in 11 years. The outing against the Iowa Cubs could clear the way for his return to the Detroit Tigers rotation.
The 43-year-old right-hander allowed four hits and no walks while striking out three batters. He threw 64 pitches, 48 of them for strikes, and did not give up any hard contact. The Mud Hens won the game 16-1. Verlander earned his first career Triple-A victory and leaned primarily on his four-seam fastball, which averaged 93.5 miles per hour. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch watched video of the start Wednesday morning. He noted that Verlander built his pitch count efficiently and said a second rehab outing remains possible. Verlander had not faced live batters since March 30 before going on the injured list with left hip inflammation. Detroit’s weekend rotation against the Mariners is set without him for now.
