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• Giants' Justin Verlander: Makes Giants spring debut

  25D ago • By RotoWire

  Verlander gave up one run (on a home run) over two innings with a strikeout and walk in his San Francisco spring debut Monday. "Overall, I'm healthy," Verlander told MLB.com. "I thought the velo was OK for the first start of the spring. Better than what I was doing last year, so that's a big improvement. Overall, I was pleased." Verlander battled shoulder and neck injuries in 2024, the latter of which he's hinted at returning too soon from and could have played a factor in him finishing the year with a 5.48 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 90.1 innings. It's a good sign he's fully healthy as spring training begins. However, at age 42 this season it's not a given he'll return to anything close to his pre-2024 form.

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• Giants' Justin Verlander: Already throwing, feeling healthy

  01/13/2025 • By RotoWire

  Verlander said Monday that he began throwing much earlier than usual this offseason and is already touching 92 mph, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Verlander averaged 93.5 mph with his four-seamer in 2024, but at this stage of the offseason the hurler is viewing 92 mph as an encouraging sign. The righty also said he's addressed the shoulder and back issues that limited him to just 90.1 innings this past season, although it's not clear exactly what that entails. Verlander inked a one-year, $15 million contract with the Giants last week and will be looking to bounce back in 2025 in what will be his age-42 season.

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• Giants' Justin Verlander: Headed to Bay Area

  01/08/2025 • By RotoWire

  Verlander signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Giants on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. Verlander battled shoulder and neck injuries in 2024, the latter of which he's hinted at returning too soon from and could have played a factor in him finishing the year with a 5.48 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 90.1 innings -- easily the worst line of his illustrious career. Set to turn 42 in February, he's unlikely to approach numbers similar to his 2022 AL Cy Young campaign, though a full offseason of recovery could enable the veteran righty to return to form as a quality starter in 2025.

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• Astros' Justin Verlander: Plans to continue pitching in 2025

  10/03/2024 • By RotoWire

  Verlander said Wednesday that he plans to continue his major-league career in 2025, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports. Verlander -- who will turn 42 in February -- battled through a disappointing 2024 season, finishing with a 5.48 ERA and 74:27 K:BB over 90.1 innings covering 17 starts before being left off the Astros wild-card roster. He began the year on the injured list with a shoulder problem and also missed substantial time with a neck issue, an injury which he has indicated he might have come back too soon from and could have affected his performance. Given his age and the season he just had, Verlander will enter free agency with question marks, but he shouldn't have trouble finding a team willing to take a shot on a bounce-back showing in 2025.

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• Astros' Justin Verlander: Excluded from wild-card roster

  10/01/2024 • By RotoWire

  Verlander is not on the Astros' roster for the American League Wild Card Series versus the Tigers, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports. Verlander's absence from the roster, while perhaps jarring, is not a surprise, as he wasn't going to make a start in the series and was unlikely to be carried as a reliever. Whether he's on the ALDS roster, should the Astros advance, is a bigger question. Ronel Blanco and Spencer Arrighetti will be available in relief for Houston in the wild-card series.

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