Justin Verlander will make the final start of his 21-year Major League career on Saturday for the Detroit Tigers against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park. The 43-year-old successfully cleared a Tuesday bullpen session, ending a season sidelined mostly by left hip and hamstring injuries.
Clearing the Final Hurdle at Comerica Park
Justin Verlander walked into the bullpen beyond the left-field fence at Comerica Park, stepped onto the mound, and completed his between-starts session Tuesday afternoon. It was a routine he has repeated hundreds of times across 21 professional seasons, but this was the last time.
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch confirmed that Verlander successfully navigated the workout and is officially set to pitch Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The news removes the remaining uncertainty surrounding what will be the final appearance of his Major League career. Hinch initially described the Saturday plan as penciled in due to the pitcher’s physical setbacks, but that schedule is now locked in.
Verlander added that completing the session felt like a breath of fresh air coming off the mound. Verlander will need to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list before taking the ball, with the Tigers positioned to open a 40-man roster spot by transferring another player.
A Season Derailed by Injuries and a Career Brought Full Circle
The path to a final farewell in Detroit did not go according to script. Verlander signed a one-year deal with the Tigers in the offseason, returning to the franchise where his career began in 2005. Instead of leading a contending rotation, his season was interrupted by left hip inflammation after making just one start on March 30 against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. A subsequent left hamstring strain suffered during a bullpen session delayed his recovery by several months.
While the Tigers fell out of postseason contention and a return to the mound became an uphill battle, Verlander decided to announce his retirement in July. Rather than walking away quietly months ago, he pushed through grueling rehabilitation work.
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“I think for that reason, that’s a large driving factor in this. I could’ve easily hung it up a month or two ago, but really pushed as hard as I possibly could, skipping a lot of steps, risking some serious injury potentially. But hey, that’s what I’ve done my whole career. I want to be out there. I want to pitch, to do it not only for myself but for the fans.”
Saturday’s matchup carries no playoff implications, as both the Tigers and Pirates have been eliminated. That lack of pressure gives Detroit the freedom to let Verlander pitch without worrying about competitive consequences. Although he is not fully stretched out, Hinch noted that the pitcher made it clear he has no interest in a brief, ceremonial wave from the dugout.
Chasing One Last Competitive Outing
Throughout his career, Verlander modeled his longevity after Nolan Ryan, aiming to pitch into his mid-40s. While he hangs up his spikes at age 43, he compares his exit to fictional Tigers pitcher Billy Chapel from the 1999 film For Love of the Game, hoping to toe the rubber one final time with competitive fire.
“I don’t just want to go out there and do one inning and come out and wave. I would like to toe the rubber one more time in a competitive way and try to win the Detroit Tigers a ballgame.”
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Justin Verlander, via Major League Baseball
His resume remains among the finest of his generation: 21 seasons across stints with Detroit, Houston, the New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants, yielding three Cy Young Awards, an American League MVP award, two World Series championships, three no-hitters, and 3,554 total strikeouts.
When he steps onto the Comerica Park mound on Saturday, it will mark his first home appearance in a Tigers uniform since August 2017. With his family in attendance and the ballpark expected to be packed, Verlander intends to absorb every moment rather than hiding behind headphones.
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