Justin Verlander injury update: MRI results come back
By John Buhler
Detroit Tigers right hander Justin Verlander’s MRI results on his injured groin came back on Monday afternoon, thankfully revealing no structural damage.
Seeing Detroit Tigers right hander Justin Verlander exit Sunday’s game against the division rival Chicago White Sox after only two plus innings wasn’t good. Tigers manager Brad Ausmus pulled his dominant right hander from the game after only 72 pitches due to “tightness in the groin.”
Fortunately for the Tigers, news of Verlander’s MRI results came back on Monday afternoon and it doesn’t appear to be the end of the world for Detroit baseball. According to ESPN, “the Detroit Tigers announced on Monday that the MRI on pitcher Justin Verlander’s groin injury showed no evidence of structural damage.”
Obviously, this is an injury that the Tigers organization will want to take precaution on. Though they are only 28-28 through 56 games this season, losing Verlander for the year due to rushing him back to the mound would not be good for Ausmus or the Tigers organization.
Detroit is only 2.5 games back of the first-place Minnesota Twins in the American League Central. On the year, Verlander is 4-4 in 12 starts with a 4.63 ERA in 70.0 innings pitched. Verlander has 66 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.457.
Though Verlander is almost certainly past his prime as a starting pitcher, his veteran presence will be necessary to help guide the Tigers staff to a potentially deep postseason run. Twice in Verlander’s big league career have the Tigers won the AL Pennant (2006, 2012).
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However, Detroit has not won a World Series since Jack Morris was the ace of the pitching staff and the late Sparky Anderson was the skipper back in 1984. Though Ausmus may want Verlander to keep his spot in the rotation, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for Verlander to skip a start or two to ensure that groin won’t act up again in the middle of a game.