Justin Verlander to make final start of Hall of Fame career on Saturday before planned retirement

The start will be Verlander's first since March 30 as he's worked through various injuries

Sep 22, 2026 at 4:21 pm ET • 1 min read

Justin Verlander will close the book on his Hall of Fame career with a farewell start Saturday. After a bullpen session went well Tuesday afternoon, the Detroit Tigers announced Verlander will start Saturday's game. It will be his first start since March 30. He has been sidelined by hip and hamstring injuries the last several months.

"We're not following the normal script for rehab players. I mean, there's no point. I told these guys: 'What are we saving my arm for?' It doesn't make a lot of sense," Verlander said recently. "I think clearly there's some underlying stuff there with the hamstring, but it just is what it is. I mean, there's a chance that I could seriously hurt myself, but it's part of being a professional athlete at 43."    

Verlander is not expected to make a full start Saturday. He could throw just one inning, similar to Charlie Morton's farewell start with the Atlanta Braves last season. The Tigers and their weekend opponent, the Pittsburgh Pirates, have already been eliminated from postseason contention, so Verlander's farewell start will have no impact on any races.

The Tigers had previously announced plans for farewell events celebrating Verlander. His final start will now headline the season's final weekend. In 21 MLB seasons, Verlander went 266-159 with a 3.33 ERA and 3,554 strikeouts. He is eighth on the all-time strikeout list.

Verlander announced his retirement in July, when he was named to the All-Star Game as a Legends Pick. He will retire as the best pitcher of his generation. He's a three-time Cy Young winner, an MVP, and a two-time World Series champion.