Tigers announcing Justin Verlander return date should still temper expectations

When the Detroit Tigers signed Justin Verlander during the offseason, the move was about much more than nostalgia. Sure, bringing the 43-year-old future Hall of Famer back home to where everything first started had some allure. But this was more about trying to catch lightning in a bottle and capitalize on the right-hander's 2.99 ERA down the stretch last season.

The Tigers knew getting 30 starts and 180 innings out of Verlander wasn't going to happen, but if they could manage his workload, he could potentially eat innings in the first half and then rise to the occasion and become a difference maker down the stretch. Those plans now seem like distant memories.

After getting shelled to the tune of five earned over 3 2/3 innings on March 30, the three-time Cy Young winner has spent nearly the last three months languishing on the IL. The hype machine started working in overdrive once he began working his way back, but at that time, he hadn't even gone on a rehab assignment yet.

Once he finally made his way to the minor leagues to build his arm back up via a proper rehab assignment, Detroit wisely resisted temptation and didn't call him up on June 9 as they were originally hoping to do after just one outing.

Now we have a date for Verlander's return. The living legend will make his return to the mound at home on Father's Day, June 21, but that doesn't mean that we can expect things to go off without a hitch.

AJ Hinch's comments on Justin Verlander make it seem as if the Tigers veteran is toast

While it will be a moment for fans to enjoy due to the nostalgia of it all, it could all turn bitter quickly. 2026 has gone off the rails for the Tigers in more ways than one, and if we're to believe some recent comments from AJ Hinch, it doesn't seem like Verlander can be the needle-mover necessary to save Detroit's season.

Speaking on MLB Network Radio on Tuesday, June 16, Hinch spoke about Verlander in less than glowing terms. The skipper noted that the 21-year veteran "lacked the adrenaline" that comes with pitching in a big league game, using a dip in velocity to justify the conclusion. Hinch also stated that he hadn't seen much consistency in Verlander's pitches.

Verlander posted a 3.38 ERA in Toledo and picked up his first career Triple-A win, but also put up some ugly peripherals like a 5.27 xERA and a 7.85 FIP over the 10 2/3 frames he threw on the comeback trail. Rehab assignment stats are much like spring training ones in that they don't hold much weight, but it's easy to see how a veteran like Verlander could simply out-fox Triple-A hitters even if his stuff is no longer MLB-caliber.

Verlander, of course, deserves the benefit of the doubt. He's earned that much over his long career. At the same time, a firm grounding in reality is important. This version of Verlander isn't capable of winning Cy Youngs. He might no longer be capable of pitching in the majors anymore, either. We'll gain a lot more clarity as to what the future looks like based on what we see out of him on June 21.

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