Verlander (2-3) took the loss Friday, allowing one run on five hits and three walks over six innings as the Mets fell 3-0 to the Blue Jays. He struck out eight.
The 40-year-old righty was dominant after serving up a leadoff homer to George Springer, but the New York offense couldn't get anything going against Chris Bassitt and the Toronto bullpen. Verlander generated 30 called or swinging strikes among his 117 pitches as he delivered his third quality start in six outings since making his belated season debut. While he has been tagged for six runs in two of those trips to the mound, it should be noted that one of them came in Coors Field, while the other came against the league-leading Rays. Verlander will take a 4.25 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 30:9 K:BB through 36 innings into his next start, which is likely to come next week in Atlanta.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Justin Verlander: Rough outing in Colorado
Rotowire
Verlander allowed six runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out two over five innings in a no-decision versus the Rockies on Saturday.
Verlander left the game in line for the loss before the Mets rallied to tie the game in the sixth inning. This is the second time in five starts that Verlander's allowed six runs but he's also had a pair of very good starts and one average one after missing the first month-plus of the season with a shoulder strain. The 40-year-old is at a 4.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 22:6 K:BB across 30 innings. He's lined up for a home start versus the Blue Jays.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Justin Verlander: Goes eight innings in win
Rotowire
Verlander (2-2) allowed one run on three hits over eight frames, striking out five and earning a win over the Guardians in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader.
Verlander bounced back from his last ugly outing with a stellar performance Sunday. He coughed up a solo shot to Jose Ramirez in the first inning and was nearly untouchable the rest of the way. Verlander retired 10 straight batters on two occasions, including the final 10 he faced. He's now sporting a 3.60 ERA through 25 innings in his first four starts of the year. Verlander's next start is lined up to be in Colorado.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Justin Verlander: Next start Tuesday vs Rays
Rotowire
Verlander's next start has been pushed from Monday to Tuesday, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
David Peterson will make a spot start in the Mets' series finale against the Nationals on Monday, giving Verlander an extra day of rest while also lining him up to handle Tuesday's series opener versus the red-hot Rays. The veteran right-hander has posted a vintage 2.25 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 12:3 K:BB through 12 innings (two starts) with New York after missing the first five weeks of the season because of a shoulder strain.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Justin Verlander: Rebounds with vintage peformance
Rotowire
Verlander (1-1) got the win Wednesday over the Reds, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while striking out seven over seven innings.
The only damage against Verlander came in the opening frame, as Jonathan India led off with a single and eventually came around to score on a double by Jake Fraley. Verlander quieted the Reds from there, allowing just two other batters to reach via walks. He generated 13 swinging strikes on 104 pitches and was still touching 96 MPH with his fastball in the seventh inning. It was a dominant effort from the 2022 AL Cy Young winner, and he'll take a 2.25 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 12:3 K:BB across two starts into a favorable matchup against the Nationals next week.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Justin Verlander: Tagged for two homers in debut
Rotowire
Verlander (0-1) took the loss Thursday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk over five innings against Detroit. He struck out five.
Verlander made his first start of 2023 after being held out for the first five weeks of action with a strained right shoulder. The 40-year-old struggled to get through the first inning, giving up back-to-back solo home runs to Riley Greene and Javier Baez. Outside of the two long balls, Verlander exited Thursday's outing relatively unscathed, giving up just three other hits and no additional runs. Though he managed to make it through five innings, Verlander was yanked at just 79 pitches. He'll likely continue to face some workload limitations for his next couple starts as he builds up.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Justin Verlander: Activated ahead of NYM debut
Rotowire
Verlander (shoulder) was activated Thursday from the 15-day injured list, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Verlander is set to make his Mets debut in Thursday afternoon's series finale against the Tigers after missing the first five weeks of the 2023 regular season due to a low-grade teres major strain in his right shoulder. He tallied six strikeouts over 4.2 scoreless innings in his lone minor-league rehab start Friday with Double-A Binghamton. It was just a 69-pitch outing, so the veteran right-hander might be limited a bit Thursday in Detroit. Still, he's an obvious must-start for fantasy managers moving forward.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Justin Verlander: Set to debut Thursday
Rotowire
Manager Buck Showalter confirmed that Verlander (shoulder) is lined up to be activated from the 15-day injured list Thursday to make his season and Mets debut that day in Detroit, Deesha Thosar of Fox Sports reports.
Verlander will be coming off the IL on five days' rest after he made his lone minor-league rehab start for Double-A Binghamton on Friday, when he struck out six over 4.2 scoreless innings. He's been out all season with a low-grade teres major strain in his right shoulder, but he tossed 69 pitches in the outing for Binghamton and shouldn't face any significant restrictions in his 2023 MLB debut.
Verlander (shoulder) fanned six over 4 2/3 scoreless innings in his rehab start with Double-A Binghamton on Friday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Verlander got his pitch count up to 69 in the outing and allowed just two hits and one walk. There's no word on what his velocity looked like, but the results were certainly there. It's expected to be the only rehab start Verlander makes, as he's in line to make his Mets debut May 3 in Detroit against his original team.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Justin Verlander: Quick rehab on tap
Rotowire
Verlander (shoulder) confirmed Tuesday he expects to return from the 15-day injured list after making just one minor-league rehab start, Pat Ragazzo of SI.com reports.
That rehab start is scheduled to take place Friday, when he's expected to cover around 3-to-4 innings in his first appearance since spring training, per Pat Ragazzo of SI.com. Assuming all goes well Friday, Verlander will then be on track to make his Mets debut next week in Detroit. The veteran right-hander has been on the shelf with a low-grade teres major strain, but he's checked all the necessary boxes so far in his recovery. Even at age 40 and coming off this recent shoulder scare, Verlander projects for ace-like production the rest of the way in 2023.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Justin Verlander: Tosses 43 pitches in sim game
Rotowire
Verlander (shoulder) threw 43 pitches over three innings during a simulated game Sunday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Verlander resumed throwing bullpen sessions in mid-April and has moved to a five-day schedule as he closes in on a return from the injured list. Following Sunday's simulated game, he expects to pitch in a minor-league rehab start Friday as his next appearance. If all goes well in the rehab assignment, he could return from the 15-day injured list to make his Mets debut as soon as May 3 in Detroit.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Justin Verlander: Moving to five-day schedule
Rotowire
Verlander (shoulder) is expected to throw a live batting practice session Sunday ahead of a minor-league rehab start next Friday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
Moving to a five-day throwing schedule is a strong sign the 2022 AL Cy Young Award winner is closing in on activation from the injured list. If he needs only one rehab start, the veteran right-hander figures to make his Mets debut in early May, and the team could certainly use him after Carlos Carrasco (elbow) joined Verlander and Jose Quintana (ribs) on the shelf Tuesday. Joey Lucchesi appears to be the most likely candidate to plug the hole in the team's rotation until Verlander is ready.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Justin Verlander: Throwing bullpen Tuesday
Rotowire
Mets manager Buck Showalter said that Verlander (shoulder) will throw another bullpen session Tuesday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
Verlander completed his first bullpen session since suffering a low-grade teres major muscle strain just before Opening Day on Saturday, and it's a positive sign he's scheduled to throw another bullpen a few days later. The right-hander will need to make at least one rehab start before returning to the Mets' rotation, but it does appear the reigning AL Cy Young winner has a chance to make starts for New York by the end of April.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Justin Verlander: Throws first bullpen session
Rotowire
Verlander (shoulder) threw a successful bullpen session Saturday in Florida, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
It was his first time throwing off a mound since he suffered a low-grade teres major muscle strain just before Opening Day. Verlander will do another bullpen workout early next week before then advancing to live batting practice. At least one minor-league rehab start would follow. There's no exact timetable, but the veteran right-hander appears on track to make his Mets debut around late April or early May.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Justin Verlander: Bullpen session on tap Saturday
Rotowire
Verlander (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Saturday in Florida, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.
It was reported earlier this week that he will need at least one minor-league rehab start before coming off the injured list, and Verlander is expected to complete at least two throwing sessions before heading out on a rehab assignment. He appears to be tracking toward a return before the end of the month.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Justin Verlander: Needs rehab start before activation
Rotowire
Verlander (shoulder) is expected to begin throwing off a mound this weekend and is scheduled to make at least one minor-league rehab start before being activated from the 15-day injured list, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
Verlander won't travel with the Mets when the team begins a three-city, 10-day West Coast road trip this Friday and will instead fly to the organization's spring training facility in Florida to begin the next phase of his throwing program. The Mets haven't outlined what exact days he'll throw his side sessions, but Verlander is expected to complete at least two before he faces hitters and then makes a rehab start. Verlander had previously said he didn't want to pitch in a minor-league outing prior to being activated from the 15-day injured list, but he'll do so at the request of the Mets, per Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News. If Verlander experiences no setbacks in his ramp-up from a low-grade teres major muscle strain, he could make it back from the IL in the final week of April.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Justin Verlander: Not yet throwing off mound
Rotowire
Verlander (shoulder) was still limited to flat-ground throwing as of Tuesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Verlander has upped the intensity of these flat-ground workouts, but it will remain difficult to map out a timetable for his 2023 debut until he resumes throwing off a mound. Mets manager Buck Showalter said he doesn't expect the veteran right-hander to be ready during the Mets' upcoming West Coast road trip, which runs through April 23. Verlander landed on the injured list March 30 after being diagnosed with a low-grade teres major strain.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Justin Verlander: Expects to return in April
Rotowire
Verlander (shoulder) said Friday that he's upped his throwing intensity to 75 percent and expects to join the Mets well before the end of April, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
Verlander noted that he's really turned a corner in the last few days and is "really close to being able to take off the leash." The veteran hurler is coming back from a low-grade teres major muscle strain and will need a couple rehab starts before being activated, but it seems as though he's progressing very well.
Verlander (shoulder) underwent a follow-up MRI on Wednesday which showed reduced inflammation, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Verlander has kept throwing since being diagnosed shortly before Opening Day with a low-grade teres major muscle strain. Though Verlander's condition continues to improve and he won't have to halt his throwing program, the Mets aren't yet providing a timeline for him to make his team debut.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Justin Verlander: Does light throwing Friday
Rotowire
Verlander (shoulder) did some light throwing Friday in Miami, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Verlander was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday after being diagnosed with a low-grade teres major strain, but he has the blessing from team doctors to continue throwing on the side so that he won't require an overly lengthy build-up once he's cleared again for mound work. The veteran ace is scheduled to undergo new imaging tests on his upper right arm late next week to gauge the healing process. There should be a clearer timetable for his Mets debut once those scans are reviewed. Tylor Megill is filling his rotation spot.
