The power is coming back for Justin Verlander and so are the strikeouts. The Tigers one-time ace, who has struggled mightily much of the season, has fanned a more characteristic 16 in his last two starts, covering 13 innings.
"I feel like I'm still a power pitcher with the work I'm putting in," Verlander told MLB.com. "It's going to come back."
Verlander and pitching Jeff Jones studied film of his most successful periods as opposed to his recent performances and came to the conclusion that Verlander was moving laterally on the mound rather than forward to maximize his velocity. The result has been two quality starts despite no-decisions and the increase in strikeouts.
"I felt like this was something we have to do to get back back to where he was," Brad Ausmus said. "As pitchers get older and more mature, they have to make adjustments because, physically, they're going to change."