The Tigers righty left Monday's game with shoulder soreness after getting lit up in the first inning against the Pirates.
Detroit Tigers starter Justin Verlander left Monday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after one inning with shoulder soreness, according to MLive.com's Chris Iott.
Verlander struggled to even get through the first inning against the Pirates, giving up four hits and five runs while walking two batters in the process. Following the first frame, Detroit lifted Verlander for reliever Justin Miller and announced the right-hander had been removed due to shoulder soreness.
Per Iott, Verlander will have an MRI Tuesday.
Following the game, Verlander acknowledged he has had a problem that's "been lingering for a while," though how long and what that problem is exactly remain unclear.
Speaking to Iott, Verlander said, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous. I've never been through this before."
Despite his reputation and past success, 2014 has been a down season for the 31-year-old Verlander. The 2011 AL Cy Young winner entered the game with a 4.57 ERA and 4.08 FIP in 157⅔ innings, striking out 115 batters and walking 53; his ERA now stands at 4.76 after Monday's pounding. He is on pace to finish with his highest ERA since 2008, when he posted a 4.84 mark.
Verlander's velocity was sitting at just 88-90 mph, according to ESPN's Buster Olney, which is a worrying sign:
One evaluator had Verlander's fastball at 88-90 mph tonight.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) August 12, 2014The right-hander's dip in velocity has been a talking point all season long, with Verlander's average fastball velocity dropping every season dating back to 2009. According to Brooks Baseball, the 31-year-old is averaging a career-low 93.8 mph on his fastball this season, though Monday night's dip stood out especially.
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Although Verlander's injury would be bad news for a Tigers team that is set to pay the righty $28 million annually through 2019, Detroit does have plenty of pitching depth if Verlander is sidelined for an extended period.
The Tigers acquired David Price prior to the trade deadline and also boast a staff that includes reigning AL Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez, and Rick Porcello, who has had a breakout season in 2014.
The club placed Sanchez on the DL earlier Monday, however, so Verlander's injury comes at an inopportune time. Detroit has already called up left-hander Robbie Ray to start Tuesday after the Tigers played in a 19-inning game against the Blue Jays on Sunday.
If Verlander does miss an extended period of time, the Tigers will likely call up either Drew VerHagen or Kyle Lobstein from Triple-A to provide depth in the team's rotation.
With the Tigers holding onto a half-game lead in the AL Central, both Verlander and Sanchez's injuries leave them scrambling as they attempt to qualify for the playoffs.