Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Justin Verlander is scheduled to make a rehab start for Double-A Binghamton on Friday, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
However, it is worth noting that the start will be weather dependent. The Rumble Ponies have already been forced to move the start time to 1 p.m. due to rain in the forecast.
Should the game against Akron go ahead, it would mark the latest and last step in Verlander’s road to recovery from injury. The three-time Cy Young winner was placed on the injured list on Opening Day due to a right teres major strain. Verlander began feeling discomfort near his right lat during his final start of spring training.
Since suffering that setback, Verlander has been working his way back and he threw 43 pitches in a simulated game on Sunday. The veteran came through that exercise unscathed and he will now look to complete the final stages of his comeback on Friday.
Should Friday’s game in Binghamton go ahead, and should Verlander experience no further setbacks, then he will be in line for his Mets debut on May 3 against the Tigers in Detroit. Mets manager Buck Showalter has already made it clear that Verlander won’t require a second rehab start, but he may be on a low pitch limit in his first outing of the year.
Verlander’s looming return couldn’t come at a better time for the Mets. The starting rotation has been ravaged by injury, while fellow ace Max Scherzer was suspended 10 games for having an illegal substance on his hand during a game. With the pitching struggling, coupled with the fact that Showalter has failed to get length out of any of his current starters, Verlander’s season debut will be a welcome one.
There is no doubt that seeing Verlander on a big league mound would serve as a major boost for the Mets too. After all, the front office signed the nine-time All-Star to a big-ticket two-year, $86.6 million contract during the offseason in order to boost their chances of winning a World Series. Verlander is a surefire future Hall of Famer and his stacked resume speaks for itself. His return should help to steady the ship when it comes to a starting rotation that has suffered blow after blow after blow in the opening weeks of the 2023 season.
In other news, the Mets announced on Thursday that RHP Adam Ottavino has been placed on the Paternity List. RHP Denyi Reyes has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.
