After spending parts of 13 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, New York Mets ace Justin Verlander is about to make his season debut in the place he called home for more than a decade: Comerica Park.
The Mets are going to play in Detroit on Thursday in the afternoon, and Verlander will be on the mound.
The reason why his Mets debut was delayed until Thursday was a low-grade teres major strain in his right shoulder.
He was diagnosed right around Opening Day and ended up missing about five weeks.
His return to the rotation is a welcome sight for Mets fans, because the unit has been ravaged by injuries and suspensions.
Verlander is already 40, but he won the AL Cy Young last season and remains a star.
In 2022, he finished the year with a 1.75 ERA in 175 frames, and 185 punchouts.
People in Detroit will surely give him a standing ovation for all the contributions he made to the franchise since the mid-2000s until 2017, when he was traded to the Houston Astros.
As a Tiger, Verlander accumulated a top-notch 3.49 ERA, a Rookie of the Year award, an MVP, and a Cy Young award.
He will be a Hall of Famer five years after hanging up his cleats, and when that happens, he will surely go in with a Tigers cap.
Thursday's start, as a result of all the time he spent and the things he accomplished in Detroit, will surely be special for him.
The Mets are hoping he has a good time and can give them at least about five innings of solid work.