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Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch has a target date in mind for Justin Verlander’s final start, although the team still has a few steps to complete before making it official.
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Hinch is hoping Verlander can take the mound on Sept. 26 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park. The date would coincide with the Tigers’ planned “Ver-Fest” weekend honoring the veteran right-hander as he prepares to end his career.
Verlander took another step toward that goal Saturday, throwing a session with hitters standing in the box. He reportedly showed more velocity than he has in more than a month, which Hinch viewed as a positive sign.
AJ Hinch said the hope is that Justin Verlander will be able to pitch on the final Saturday of the season, during Ver-Fest, at Comerica Park. It’s not a firm schedule. He has a few more boxes to check. But that is the goal.
— Chris McCosky (@cmccosky) September 13, 2026
The next major test will come during a simulated game next weekend while the Tigers are in Chicago. That outing is expected to help determine whether Verlander is ready to return for what could be his final major league appearance.
Verlander announced in July that the 2026 season would be his last after signing a one-year, $13 million deal to return to Detroit. His farewell season, however, has been slowed by a recurring hamstring injury.
The 43-year-old has made just one regular-season appearance this year. He allowed six hits and five earned runs over 3.2 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 30 and has spent most of the season on the injured list.
Despite the limited 2026 workload, Verlander’s career resume speaks for itself. He has 266 career wins, 3,554 strikeouts, three Cy Young Awards, an AL MVP and an AL Rookie of the Year award.
Verlander spent the first 13 seasons of his career with Detroit before returning this year for one final season. If everything goes according to Hinch’s plan, he will get one more chance to pitch in front of Tigers fans at Comerica Park.
The Sept. 26 date is not official yet, but Saturday’s throwing session gave Detroit another reason to believe Verlander could get his farewell moment.
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 12:25 PM.