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16 articles
DET •
8 days ago
Verlander remains without a definitive return timetable after hitting the injured list earlier this month with hip inflammation. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters last week that the 43-year-old veteran would need a minor league rehab start before rejoining Detroit’s rotation.
Source: Evan Woodbery
DET •
14 days ago
Hinch said, “I don’t think [Verlander’s] taking a step forward, and he hasn’t taken a step back.” That’s not really confidence-inducing. Verlander is 43 years old, so it makes sense that he might not bounce back as quickly as he did 20 years ago. Given that his performance on the field has also been inconsistent, this seems like a situation the Tigers won’t rush, and fantasy managers should avoid.
Source: Cody Stavenhagen
DET •
18 days ago
The most encouraging news is that the 43-year-old hurler still felt good on Sunday morning. It’s unclear if he’ll require a minor league tune-up before he’s cleared to return to the Tigers’ rotation, but it doesn’t sound like he’s going to be shelved for much longer.
Source: Chris McCosky
DET •
19 days ago
Verlander hit the injured list last weekend with left hip inflammation. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch confirmed that he’ll require at least one minor league rehab start before returning. There’s little incentive for Detroit to rush the 43-year-old future Hall of Famer back, but he figures to be ready at some point in late April or early May.
Source: Evan Woodbery
DET •
26 days ago
Verlander was set to return to Comerica Park on Sunday night against the Cardinals for his first start in a Tigers uniform since 2017. That’s no longer happening. The 43-year-old future Hall of Famer heads to the shelf after being torched for five runs over 3 2/3 innings by the Diamondbacks on Monday in his season debut. It’ll be Keider Montero taking his spot in Detroit’s rotation for now. His return to the Motor City is off to a bit of a rocky start, but the Tigers are probably more concerned with having him available for late-season starts than early-April outings.
DET •
about 1 month ago
Verlander’s first start back with the Tigers was not a particularly impressive one. He gave up a pair of runs in the first — with one coming on a triple from Corbin Carroll — and Carroll got him again an inning later with a three-run bomb. That was it for runs allowed, but Verlander clearly wasn’t fooling hitters as seen in just six swings and misses generated over 80 pitches. The 43-year-old will look to regroup against the Cardinals on Sunday.
DET •
about 1 month ago
There’s little point in extrapolating too much from Verlander’s final spring tune-up with temperatures in the low-90’s out in Arizona as he was knocked around for eight hits, including a pair of home runs. He struck out four and only issued one walk. The 43-year-old future Hall of Famer will make his season debut in a road tilt against the Diamondbacks on Monday before making his return to Comerica Park next week.
DET •
about 1 month ago
Verlander also struck out six and didn’t walk a single batter while posting a 29 percent whiff rate and a 28 percent CSW. His velocity is already on par with what we saw from him last season, and he actually threw his four-seamer harder as the game went on, which suggests that his arm is certainly ready to go for the season. The 40-year-old will have some rough stretches during the season, but he has still shown the ability to get swings and misses, which will keep him on the streaming radar this year.
DET •
about 2 months ago
He struck out five and got six whiffs on 21 swings against his four-seamer and slider. The upper-echelon velocity is obviously gone, which leaves Verlander homer-prone, but he remains a credible back-end starter even if he’s not an exciting stream in fantasy leagues this year.
DET •
about 2 months ago
The big hit was a two-run home run allowed to Kristian Campbell in the top of the first inning. Verlander sat 94 mph on his fastball, which is basically where he was at last season, and also registered a 39 percent whiff rate. He gave up just the one hard-hit baseball and threw 64 percent strikes, so this was an encouraging outing overall.
DET •
about 2 months ago
Verlander threw a simulated two-inning start Sunday, and the 43-year-old will get back on the bump for “real” against the Red Sox. While his age adds extra volatility, Verlander showed enough in 2025 to suggest he’s worthy of late-round consideration in deeper leagues.
Source: Detroit News
DET •
about 2 months ago
The 43-year-old hurler is lined up to make his Grapefruit League debut on either March 6 or 7. He’s on the same buildup schedule that he has been in season’s past and will be ready to roll when his spot in the rotation comes around once the regular season begins. With his return to the Tigers and his strong finish to the 2025 campaign, Verlander makes for a worthwhile late-round option in deeper mixed leagues.
Source: Evan Petzold
DET •
3 months ago
The 42-year-old future Hall of Famer returns to the organization that made him the second overall pick in the draft way back in 2004. Verlander spent the first 12 and a half seasons of his big league career with the Tigers before being shipped to the Astros in a deadline deal in 2017. He’s still 34 victories away from 300 for his career, a milestone that Verlander wants to achieve before he retires. He adds quality depth to the back end of what’s shaping up to be a fearsome Tigers’ rotation.
PHI •
12 months ago
Crawford is hitting .325/.390/.421 with 10 extra-base hits and 10 steals through 29 games this season at the Triple-A level. The 21-year-old former first round pick’s speed is going to make him fantasy-relevant as a batting average and steals source once he reaches the big leagues. He needs to start putting the ball in the air more often if he’s going to reach another level offensively, but there’s a solid foundation of fantasy-relevant skills here. He’ll get some extra time to continue improving in the minors, but he figures to arrive in Philadelphia at some point in the second half.
PHI •
about 1 year ago
Despite being just 21 years old, Crawford is slashing .293/.337/.378 in 19 games at Triple-A with a 16:6 K:BB ratio and eight stolen bases. The Phillies would obviously like to see the strikeout and walk rates come together a bit more, but it’s an impressive start to the season for a young player. He could push for a call-up at some point this summer.
PHI •
about 1 year ago
The 21-year-old Crawford has done nothing about his extremely high groundball rate in Triple-A, but he does have a 52 percent hard-hit rate to date and his whiff rate has steadily declined even as he’s climbed levels. It’ll be fascinating to see how his game translates to the majors if he gets an opportunity in the Phillies outfield this season.