Tigers have the perfect blueprint for Justin Verlander after rough start to 2026

While there was a ton of excitement amongst Detroit Tigers fans about Justin Verlander rejoining the franchise after so many years away, things got off to an inauspicious start as he had a rough first outing of the regular season in Arizona and then had to go on the IL with a hip injury.

That’s not the start anyone had drawn up, but the Tigers can actually employ the same blueprint that the Toronto Blue Jays used with veteran Max Scherzer last season.

Tigers can follow Toronto's blueprint with Scherzer last year for Verlander

Verlander and Scherzer are two very similar pitchers. They are two of the best pitchers of their generation and were legendary teammates on the Tigers before reuniting years later on the New York Mets. Scherzer is 41 while Verlander in 43, but the way Scherzer was used last season is very instructive as to how Verlander could be used.

Scherzer made 17 starts last season and had a pretty tough year overall with a 5.19 ERA in 85 innings pitched. But the Blue Jays didn't need Scherzer to give them 30 starts and carry the staff. They were strong enough with the rest of the rotation that it really only mattered that the team made the playoffs and then they were able to lean upon Scherzer in October.

He made three playoff starts and pitched well for Toronto, allowing just five earned runs in 14 and 1/3 innings pitched. That’s obviously not the dominant Scherzer of old, but those sorts of gritty outings are so valuable in the playoffs because a veteran like him will at least give the teams a chance to win while a younger, more inexperienced pitcher may be overwhelmed and not be able to limit the damage.

Verlander brings that exact thing to the table. The Tigers signed him because he could provide a boost in the regular season, but the playoffs is where having a guy like him really matters. He has so much playoff experience and knows how to win in October, so all that really matters is making sure he is healthy by the time the playoffs begin.

In the regular season, the Tigers can lean on the rest of their stellar rotation in Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez, Casey Mize, and Jack Flaherty. Verlander doesn’t need to take the ball every fifth day, so the team can afford to be cautious of an issue flares up like it did in Arizona.

To have expected Verlander to make 29 starts like he did last season with the San Francisco Giants would have been asking for too much. While his injury is definitely a concern, all the Tigers need is for him to peak in October so they can lean upon an experienced vet when everything is on the line.