Justin Verlander Is Looking For His Wheels

The Father's Day crowd in downtown Detroit was likely unanimous in its disappointment that Keider Montero was on the hill for the Tigers. It's nothing personal against Keider, but until a few days prior, this game against the White Sox was looking far more momentous. Justin Verlander, finally healthy again, would be appearing for the first time at home in a Tigers uniform since he was traded to Houston in 2017. Except Verlander wasn't quite healthy again. Despite a couple of rehab outings with the Toledo Mud Hens earlier this month, ramping up to his MLB return after just one bad start back on March 30, JV had to be scratched with a hamstring injury—a different ailment than the hip problem that was previously keeping him away. This new issue doesn't sound like a minor setback. In fact, it raises questions about whether the 43-year-old has finally hit the end of his career. This is not a matter of days, manager A.J. Hinch said. It's a matter of weeks. We're going to need a full rehab process to get him back to throwing again.