Verlander Set for Saturday Start Against Pirates in Likely Finale
The short version
- Tigers named Verlander the starter for Saturday's game against the Pirates.
- Verlander announced during the 2026 season that he plans to retire after this year.
- He has made one start in 2026, going on the 60-day IL with hip and hamstring injuries.
- Saturday would be his 557th career start, 29th most in MLB history.
The Tigers announced Justin Verlander will start Saturday versus Pittsburgh, expected to be the final appearance of his career.
The Detroit Tigers announced Tuesday that Justin Verlander will take the mound Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It would be the 557th start of his career, the 29th most in MLB history.
Verlander said earlier in the 2026 season that this would be his final year in the majors. With Detroit out of playoff contention, Saturday figures to be his last appearance unless he reverses that decision.
The 43-year-old rejoined the Tigers this season on a one-year deal after beginning his career with 12 seasons in Detroit before a 2017 trade to the Houston Astros. Injuries have limited him to one start this year: he gave up six runs, five earned, over 3 2/3 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 30, suffering hip and hamstring injuries that put him on the 60-day injured list.
Manager A.J. Hinch has not detailed how long Verlander will pitch Saturday, with his workload likely depending on how he feels returning from injury.
Verlander's resume includes three AL Cy Young Awards, two World Series titles, the 2011 AL MVP, 2006 AL Rookie of the Year, 10 All-Star selections, three no-hitters, more than 260 wins and over 3,500 strikeouts.
Written by the Matchday Live desk from reporting by Yahoo Sports.
Read the original report at Yahoo Sports ↗