Justin Verlander is officially making his final career start this Saturday, and his manager, A.J. Hinch, confirmed the ace is “all set” and “pretty excited” after his bullpen session. This isn’t just another game; Verlander is set to cap off his incredible run right where it all began, bringing a poetic close to an era that’s meant so much to so many. Even with the season winding down, expect those seats to be packed.
JV’s Final Push and What It Took
Verlander himself opened up about the immense effort and caution taken to get him to this point, telling everyone about a successful bullpen session on Tuesday. He said, “Obviously we’ve gotten tantalizingly close a couple times, so we’ve been cautious with how we announce things this time. So to do that step, I felt really pleased about. It was like a breath of fresh air coming off the mound. Just don’t do anything stupid between now and Saturday, and we should be good.” You can feel the relief and excitement in that. It’s clear he’s been battling to get back on the mound.
Playing For The Fans, Risking It All
What’s truly wild is how much this final start means to Verlander, not just for himself, but for the fans. He admitted he “could’ve easily hung it up a month or two ago,” but instead, he “pushed as hard as I possibly could, skipping a lot of steps, risking some serious injury potentially.” That’s the heart of a competitor right there! He’s been incredibly thankful for the support, saying, “I’ve been so thankful to be here back where it started, the love that these fans have shown me… it’s meant so much to me and really helped me through this process to feel better about how this season has gone, to know that it means something not just to me, but to the fans too.” That’s a legend doing it for the people. Speaking of incredible moments, Dillon Dingler just snagged this season’s Heart and Hustle Award. What a dude!
As for other news buzzing around the league, Paul Skenes is out there blaming the World Baseball Classic for his pitching struggles, which is definitely a take. And the Yankees, well, they’ve got to figure out how to navigate the Wild Card without Aaron Judge. But this weekend, all eyes are on Verlander. It’s his last dance, and you know he’s going to leave it all on the field. Don’t miss it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bless You Boys.
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