Justin Verlander's Final Start Date Before MLB Retirement Announced by Tigers Amid Injury Rehab

Justin Verlander will take the mound for the final time in his MLB career this weekend.

The Detroit Tigers announced Tuesday that the legendary pitcher will start on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, which will mark his final time pitching before retiring.

Verlander spent the 2025 campaign with the San Francisco Giants but signed with the Tigers in February, reuniting him with his former team before he called it a career.

Verlander spent some of the best years of his career in Detroit, winning the AL MVP, a Cy Young Award and helping the team reach the World Series twice.

Returning to Detroit gave him the chance to have a storybook ending to his iconic career, but the 2026 season unfortunately hasn't gone the way he would have hoped.

Verlander landed on the injured list in April with hip inflammation and later suffered a hamstring injury in June. He has made just one appearance this season, a start against the Arizona Diamondbacks in March.

While Verlander has been out pretty much all season, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch teased one more appearance before he retired last week.

"In pencil, we're aiming for that last weekend, which we know is going to be an emotional, important weekend for him," Hinch told reporters. "But also, if we can get him in that series, roughly on that Saturday, that would be at that seven-day cadence."

The Tigers are also set to honor Verlander with a two-day celebration during this weekend's series against the Pirates.

The 2026 season hasn't been ideal for either Verlander or the Tigers, but one of the best players in franchise history will have the chance to take the mound in front of a home crowd one last time before he says his farewell to baseball.