Tigers’ Justin Verlander Faces Weeks-Long Absence With Hamstring Strain

Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander is expected to miss several weeks after being diagnosed with a left hamstring strain, manager A.J. Hinch said.

Verlander, who had been sidelined since April with left hip inflammation, had been lined up to return from the injured list and make a start on Sunday.

“This is not a matter of days,” Hinch told reporters, according to The Athletic. “It’s a matter of weeks. We’re going to need a full rehab process to get him back to throwing again. Obviously, frustrating news for him and for us, given the excitement that was building around his start on Sunday.”

Verlander injured his hamstring during a bullpen session Wednesday.

“My hip actually feels fairly good,” Verlander told reporters, according to MLB.com. “All of a sudden, my hamstring was bugging me and I had to cut my bullpen short. Anytime I’m not able to get my work in, it means something’s definitely off, so we decided to get it looked at, and there’s a strain. Just really unfortunate, man. It just sucks. I don’t know how else to say it.”

At 43, Verlander is the oldest active player in Major League Baseball.

In his only start of the season, the three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2011 American League MVP allowed five runs on six hits over 3⅔ innings against Arizona and took the loss.

The Tigers also placed outfielder Wenceel Perez on the injured list with facial fractures after he was struck by an exercise band that came loose during a postgame workout in Houston.

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