DETROIT – Two of the best players from the competitive Detroit Tigers teams of last decade will return to the city this week, as Max Scherzer comes back from a suspension and Justin Verlander hopes to make his season debut.
The Tigers will host the New York Mets for a three-game series, starting Tuesday at Comerica Park.
Scherzer, who won a Cy Young with the Tigers in 2013, is scheduled to start Wednesday’s game opposite Joey Wentz. It will be Scherzer’s first start since he received a 10-game suspension for having a sticky substance on his hand.
Verlander went on the injured list on Opening Day, delaying the start of his season by about a month. He signed with the Mets as a free agent this season after five years with the Houston Astros.
Verlander is in line to start Thursday in Detroit after making one rehab start for Double-A Binghamton on Friday, Manager Buck Showalter confirmed Monday.
Verlander is one of the greatest pitchers in Tigers history. He won 183 games over 13 seasons, posting a 3.49 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. He won the American League MVP in 2011 and appeared in six All-Star games for Detroit.
Both aces are sure to receive a warm welcome at Comerica Park, where fans will be reminded of much happier times. Since trading Verlander to Houston midway through 2017, the Tigers have been one of the most miserable franchises in the sport.
Detroit is off to a 10-17 start to 2023, with the fifth-worst run differential in MLB. Scherzer and Verlander shouldn’t have much trouble with the league’s worst lineup (88 runs in 27 games).
The Mets, meanwhile, have stayed afloat even without their two aces. They’re 15-12 on the season and only three games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.
