A.J. Hinch Reveals Justin Verlander's Goal for the End of the Season
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The Detroit Tigers are trying their best to make the most out of the final weeks of the 2026 campaign. With the playoffs unlikely, the roster has turned to its youth, and surprisingly, the method is working. Looking to sweep the Colorado Rockies, Detroit could earn its 70th victory of the season Sunday afternoon.
As the season winds down, Tigers fans have one question they've been pondering all season: will Justin Verlander return to the mound one last time before the end of the year? Verlander made one start for Detroit in his return to the franchise, but that happened back in the early days of the 2026 season.
Verlander, to his credit, has tried twice earlier this year to make his return to the mound, but injuries continued to get in the way. Forced to watch the Tigers' collapse from the dugout, the veteran vowed to do his best to return to the mound at least one more time for the City of Detroit.
A.J. Hinch Speaks on Potential Verlander Outing
The Tigers announced a two-day celebration at Comerica Park on Sept. 25-26, honoring Verlander's lasting impact both on the field and in the Detroit community. When the announcement was made, no indication of whether Verlander would pitch had been announced.
According to Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, the goal is for Verlander to take the mound on Sept. 26, one last time at Comerica Park, as reported by Chris McCosky of The Detroit News on X (formerly Twitter). That's the goal, not the official plan as of right now.
Verlander threw a live batting practice at Comerica Park on Saturday before game two against the Rockies, where his fastball touched 93 mph. It's not where he'd like to be velocity-wise, but it's an encouraging sign to see the future Hall of Famer able to throw on the mound again.
According to MLB.com's Jason Beck, Verlander will throw a simulated game next weekend while the team is in Chicago.
Even if the outing lasts an inning or two, fans would love nothing more than to see a legend of Detroit sports lay it all on the line one last time before hanging up the cleats.
Verlander said earlier this month, “I’m not trying to go out there and make a fool of myself. But if I’m healthy enough to do it, then I don’t see why I can’t,". It looks like they're going to give it a shot.
The only thing that might stand in the way is if somehow the Tigers are fighting for the final AL Wild Card spot, but assuming they don't go on a 10-game winning streak, Verlander taking the mound in game 161 sounds enticing.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.