Justin

Verlander

Verlander allowed seven hits, and threw 56-of-83 pitches for strikes. He was able to strike out six, and he generated a solid 12 swings-and-misses in his first start since May 19 due to a pectoral strain. Outside of a three-run homer allowed to Daniel Schneemann it was a solid effort from Verlander; one that was more encouraging than the box score might indicate. He’ll be back on the bump Tuesday against the Marlins.

Verlander returns to take the ball on Wednesday night against the Guardians at Oracle Park following a one-month absence recovering from a pectoral strain. The 42-year-old future Hall of Famer hasn’t quite missed enough bats to make an impact in shallow mixed leagues, but he’s a decent back-end rotation option in deeper fantasy formats.

He’ll be inserted in between Robbie Ray and Logan Webb in the rotation, with Hayden Birdsong apparently getting pushed back to Friday. Verlander has been on the IL since May 19 with a strained pectoral muscle. He might still have a little value in mixed leagues, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to leave him reserved for his first start back.

It sounds like the Giants will now go with a bullpen game on Sunday with Sean Hjelle warming up in the team’s bullpen and expected to start the game. With Justin Verlander (pectoral) likely to rejoin the Giants’ rotation during the upcoming week, it had been anticipated that Harrison would lose his spot in the Giants’ rotation. Now it sounds like he’s heading to the Red Sox where he’ll have an opportunity to stick at the big league level. Stay tuned.

Verlander threw another bullpen Saturday, and Giants manager Bob Melvin told reporters that the future Hall of Famer “felt good” after that session. Melvin mentioned that the team is still discussing what moves will be made to get Verlander back in the rotation, but all signs point to him making a start in the next week.

To do so, the Giants would need to bump Kyle Harrison from their starting rotation, which could be a tough call with the left-hander pitching well. The Giants could also have Verlander make one tune-up in the minor leagues before bringing him back. Stay tuned, as there should be more clarity to the situation before the weekend is through.

Verlander previously faced hitters last Friday in a roughly 35-pitch simulated game and appears on track to rejoin San Francisco’s rotation at some point soon. The club has had the luxury to avoid rushing him back with lefty Kyle Harrison pitching well, but they’ll likely have a tough decision to make in the coming days.

While he came away from the session feeling well, the real test will be to see how the 42-year-old right-hander is feeling on Saturday. It sounds like Verlander may not require a minor league rehab assignment before rejoining the Giants’ rotation, so as long as he’s feeling alright they could choose to insert him back in there at any time.

The Giants are going to give former top prospect Kyle Harrison another start on Wednesday against the Padres before determining their next move. Verlander figures to be an option to return early next week from the injured list, assuming he makes it through upcoming throwing sessions without any issues. The 42-year-old former ace hit the shelf back in mid-May with a pectoral strain.

Verlander threw a bullpen session on Friday and the Giants are going to give him some extra time off to rest and recover in the wake of a strong outing by former top prospect Kyle Harrison, who has earned another start this upcoming week. The 42-year-old veteran is working his way back from a pectoral strain and should be back by the middle of June.