New York Mets ace Justin Verlander, acquired in the offseason on a lucrative contract, has been on the shelf since late March due to a low-grade teres major strain in his right shoulder.
The rehab process has been slow, but steady, and the reigning AL Cy Young winner took another step forward on Sunday.
The right-hander threw 43 pitches over three innings in a simulated game on Sunday, and will make a minor league rehab start on Friday.
If everything goes according to the plan, Verlander could rejoin the Mets rotation in early May, between the 2nd and the 4th, in the road series against the Detroit Tigers.
JV could make his Mets debut in Detroit 👀🐅#MLBCentral | @jonmorosi | @LaurenShehadi pic.twitter.com/QUtyKcoghl
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 24, 2023
It could certainly be a special date for the veteran, as he spent the first twelve and a half years of his MLB career in Detroit.
He reached two World Series with the Tigers, in 2006 and 2012.
Even though he lost both, he is a legend in Detroit and will surely be met with a standing ovation.
He left the franchise in 2017 because he was traded to the Houston Astros.
He then spent four and a half campaigns in Houston, winning two rings, and became a free agent this offseason.
The Mets gave him an $86 million contract to lure him away from other contenders, but he got hurt at the very end of spring training and hasn’t been able to make his debut.
It would be nice for Tigers fans to say hello to one of their greatest players of the last 20 years.
He is a candidate for the Hall of Fame when he retires, and if he is elected, he will likely be wearing the Tigers cap.
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