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Tigers' Justin Verlander feels ready to take his rehab to next level
TL;DR
Justin Verlander is feeling optimistic about his rehabilitation progress from hip inflammation, as noted by manager AJ Hinch. Verlander interacted positively with former player Anthony Rizzo, indicating his good spirits.
Key points
- Justin Verlander is on the injured list.
- He is recovering from hip inflammation.
- Manager AJ Hinch noted Verlander's upbeat mood.
- Verlander interacted positively with Anthony Rizzo.
Mentioned in this story
Justin VerlanderAJ HinchAnthony Rizzo
Detroit Tigers
Detroit — Justin Verlander walked past manager AJ Hinch’s office a couple of hours before the game Sunday.
Hinch was being interviewed by the Peacock broadcast team that included former Cubs and Yankees standout Anthony Rizzo.
“JV walked by and talked to Rizzo,” Hinch said. “He did not talk to me (wry smile). He was all upbeat and happy. I joked with Rizzo. I said that means he’s feeling really good.”
Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, second from left, is on the injured list with hip inflammation.
He was absolutely correct.
Verlander was very encouraged by the bullpen session he had just thrown, to the point where he thinks he might be ready to take the next step. Which would be facing hitters in a live BP session.
“It was good,” Verlander said. “We’ve decided to not try to put a timeline on it. Just focus on is it getting better every day and it is 100% trending in the right direction. I felt really good today. Hopefully it was good enough to start moving forward.”
Verlander, who has been on the injured list since April 1 with muscle inflammation in his left hip, will still have to check off a few more boxes before taking the next step. The trainers will want to see how well he recovers from what was another full-intensity, two-inning session.
“We were hopeful going into today (that the next step would be facing hitters),” Hinch said. “But I can’t be sure what the next step is until we talk it through.”
Verlander said he was hitting 94 mph with his fastball and he was pleased with how the rest of his arsenal was grading out metrically.
“I need hitters to tell for sure, but the feel, like mentally it feels great,” he said. “The look feels great. The metrics are good. It’s all positive. The only negative is I’m not in a game yet.”
This injury and the slow pace of recovery has tested Verlander’s patience. It’s a more unusual injury than say a hamstring or groin. There is more data on those two injuries, more medical precedent on how long the healing should take.
Q&A
What injury is Justin Verlander currently recovering from?
Justin Verlander is recovering from hip inflammation.
How is Justin Verlander's rehabilitation going?
Justin Verlander feels ready to take his rehabilitation to the next level and is in good spirits.
Who commented on Justin Verlander's mood during his rehab?
Manager AJ Hinch commented on Verlander's upbeat mood after he interacted with former player Anthony Rizzo.
What did AJ Hinch say about Justin Verlander's condition?
AJ Hinch noted that Verlander's positive interaction with Rizzo suggests he is feeling really good.