The Giants placed Verlander on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to a right pectoral strain, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Manager Bob Melvin revealed Wednesday that Verlander was bound for the IL and that transaction is now official. The veteran hurler began experiencing pectoral soreness prior to his last start over the weekend against the Athletics and was unable to make enough progress in between outings to avoid the IL. Verlander will be eligible for activation June 3, but it's too soon to know whether he will be ready to go on that date.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Bound for 15-day IL
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Manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday that Verlander will be placed on the 15-day injured list due to right pectoral soreness, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Verlander was dealing with the issue during his last start against the Athletics on Sunday. There was optimism that he would be able to make his next turn through the rotation this weekend in Washington, but the veteran right-hander will instead go on the IL and miss at least two starts. The Giants could call up a starter from Triple-A to replace Verlander or shift Jordan Hicks from the bullpen back into the rotation.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Nursing pectoral issue
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Giants manager Bob Melvin said Monday that Verlander is dealing with a slight pectoral issue, but he is optimistic the pitcher will make his next scheduled start Saturday versus the Nationals, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Verlander revealed after displaying reduced velocity in Sunday's start against the Athletics that he was affected by a physical issue, and now Melvin has offered more specifics on the nature of the injury. The 42-year-old hurler will presumably need to get through a between-starts throwing session before being cleared for Saturday, but at the moment the Giants don't expect Verlander to miss his next turn.
Verlander revealed after Sunday's start against the Athletics that he was dealing with a physical issue that affected his velocity and mechanics, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Verlander intimated that he was experiencing the issue before the start began and the Giants were aware he was compromised but were comfortable with him taking the ball. The righty averaged only 91.3 mph with his four-seamer in the outing, walking five and allowing two runs over four innings. Verlander declined to offer more details on what injury he's battling, but he said he's "pretty optimistic" he'll be able to make his next scheduled start Saturday on the road versus the Nationals. The 42-year-old was limited to only 17 starts last season because of shoulder and neck problems.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Walks five in no-decision
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Verlander allowed two runs on three hits and five walks while striking out one over four innings in a no-decision versus the Athletics on Sunday.
Verlander's control issues cropped up again Sunday, as he threw just 41 of 84 pitches for strikes. He was able to mostly limit the damage despite his inefficiency, though he left in line for the loss after giving up a two-run single to Lawrence Butler in the fourth inning. The Giants' two-run eighth inning spared Verlander from another loss. This was just the second time he's failed to complete five innings this year, but he's doing little more than eating innings. He's at a 4.33 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 41:21 K:BB through 52 innings over 10 starts so far. He's lined up for a favorable road matchup versus the Nationals in his next outing.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Takes narrow loss
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Verlander (0-3) allowed two runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out five over six innings to take the loss Monday versus the Diamondbacks.
Verlander's performance has stabilized after a rough first few turns through the rotation. This was his fourth quality start in his last five outings, though he ended up with the loss anyway after allowing a pair of solo home runs to Corbin Carroll in the low-scoring game. Verlander's ERA is down to 4.31, but he still has a 1.35 WHIP and 40:16 K:BB over 48 innings through nine starts this season. He hasn't had a BB/9 over 3.0 in a full season since 2017, but it's right at that mark so far in 2025. He's projected to make his next start at home versus the Athletics.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Gives up three runs in no-decision
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Verlander didn't factor into the decision against the Cubs on Tuesday. He allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three over five innings.
Verlander entered Tuesday's game having logged three-straight quality starts, but he wasn't able to extend that streak to four after being lifted before the start of the sixth inning. He generated nine whiffs on 82 pitches (52 strikes), and the two-run home run he gave up to Miguel Amaya in the third frame was Verlander's sixth of the season, which is tied for 10th most in the National League. Through eight starts this season, Verlander has a 4.50 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 35:15 K:BB across 42 innings. He's slated to face the Diamondbacks at home next week.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Works into seventh inning Thursday
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Verlander didn't factor into the decision Thursday against the Rockies after allowing two runs on five hits and one walk in 6.1 innings. He struck out four.
It was the longest start of the year by Verlander, who also generated a respectable 11 whiffs Thursday. However, the veteran right-hander did surrender a home run, a seventh-inning leadoff solo shot by Ryan McMahon, for the fifth time in seven outings in 2025. Verlander now has a 4.38 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 32:13 K:BB over 37 innings ahead of a daunting task on the road next week against the Cubs, who lead the major leagues in run scored (192) as a club.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Still winless despite quality start
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Verlander (0-2) took the loss Friday as the Giants were downed 2-0 by the Rangers, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out five.
The 42-year-old right-hander delivered his second straight quality start on 89 pitches (65 strikes), but San Francisco's bats couldn't get going against Nathan Eovaldi and the Texas bullpen. Verlander appears to be turning things around, but on the season he still carries a 4.99 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 28:12 K:BB through 30.2 innings. He'll be in an excellent spot to collect his first win as a Giant in his next outing, which is scheduled to come at home next week against the Rockies.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Records quality start
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Verlander allowed one run on two hits and two walks in six innings Sunday in a no decision against the Angels. He struck out six.
Verlander's lone run allowed came on a fifth-inning solo blast by Zach Neto to knot the game at one. Verlander exited in line for the win after tossing 98 pitches but was left hanging after the Angels put up three runs in the ninth to walk it off. The 42-year-old put together a much-needed quality start after being tagged for 13 runs (12 earned) in his previous 13.2 innings. Verlander will be in search of his first win this season in a home start versus the Rangers over the weekend.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Gives up four runs in loss
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Verlander (0-1) took the loss Tuesday against Philadelphia. He allowed four runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out one over 5.2 innings.
Verlander put the Giants behind when he gave up two runs in the second inning, including a solo shot by J.T. Realmuto. Verlander recovered to toss three scoreless frames, but he was tagged for two more runs in the sixth inning and wasn't able to complete the frame. While he's generated a 32.6 percent whiff rate, Verlander has yet to make it out of the sixth inning in any of his four starts in 2025. He has a 6.75 ERA and 1.77 WHIP across 18.2 innings to begin the season, and he'll look to get back on track in his next start, tentatively slated for this weekend on the road against the Angels.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Runs into trouble in third inning
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Verlander didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Reds after allowing six runs (five earned) on five hits and three walks in 5.2 innings. He struck out nine.
The veteran right-hander did tally his most strikeouts in a start since May of last season, but he ran into trouble after tossing two scoreless frames to open the game. A TJ Friedl double plated one run, an Elly De La Cruz double brought in two more and a Gavin Lux two-run single completed a five-run third inning for the Reds. Due to a Willy Adames fielding error earlier in the frame, an unearned run was charged to Verlander after the righty was pulled in the sixth. With a scheduled matchup in Philadelphia on tap for early next week, Verlander will be tough to trust from a fantasy perspective for that game.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Short outing versus Mariners
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Verlander allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two over 2.1 innings, taking a no-decision in Friday's extra-innings win over the Mariners.
Both teams dipped into their bullpens early, and the Giants had to because Verlander wasn't pitching well early on. He threw 44 of 65 pitches for strikes but gave up a solo home run to Julio Rodriguez in the first inning and got in more trouble in the third. The veteran right-hander's first year with the Giants is off to a mediocre beginning -- he's allowed five runs on 11 hits and three walks while striking out seven over 7.1 innings across two starts. He's tentatively scheduled for a home start versus the Reds next week.
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Giants' Justin Verlander: Makes Giants spring debut
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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.
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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Astros' Justin Verlander: Plans to continue pitching in 2025
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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
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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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Astros' Justin Verlander: Grabs win in Cleveland
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Verlander (5-6) picked up the win Saturday against the Guardians, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out five over six innings. He did not issue a walk.
Verlander completed six innings for the first time since May, as he tossed just his sixth quality start of the season. Verlander will have to wait and see if he did enough against the Guardians to make the postseason roster. The 41-year-old has been a shell of his former self as of late, as he entered Saturday's start with a 10.90 ERA in 17.1 innings in September.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Shaky in no-decision
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Verlander came away with a no-decision in Friday's 9-7 win over the Angels, surrendering six runs on eight hits and a walk over 4.2 innings. He struck out four.
The 41-year-old righty was staked to a 6-1 lead after three innings, but Verlander couldn't stick around long enough to qualify for the win, as he got the hook after 86 pitches (60 strikes). Verlander hasn't lasted more than five innings in any of his six starts since coming off the IL in late August, and his 8.89 ERA, 1.79 WHIP and 18:10 K:BB through 27.1 innings over that stretch makes it uncertain if he even has enough left in the tank to be part of Houston's postseason rotation. Verlander is scheduled to make one more regular-season start, on the road next weekend in Cleveland.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Earns first win since May
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Verlander (4-6) picked up the win over the Angels on Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks over five innings while striking out two.
Verlander actually got off to a rough start, allowing back-to-back walks and an RBI single to open the bottom of the first. However, he would then go on to retire 15 of the next 18 batters he faced before leaving the contest, allowing one more run on an Eric Wagaman double over that stretch. It marked the first win for the veteran right-hander since May 24 against Oakland, and it was only the second time in his last seven starts that he allowed fewer than four runs. Following the win, Verlander still carries a 10.66 ERA over three September outings to go along with an ugly 5:7 K:BB.
