Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
CHICAGO — The Tigers received a bit of good news on Wednesday when an MRI revealed that the inflammation around Justin Verlander’s right triceps has subsided and he was cleared to begin a throwing program.
But the former Cy Young Award winner still is a long way from returning from the disabled list.
“This is a first step,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “He’s allowed to throw, he threw today. He’s not going to be on the mound for a while, though. There’s no real set timetable. He’s able to throw, he’s able to play catch on an everyday or every other day basis, and, really, it just depends on how he feels.”
Even if things go perfectly, the process could be lengthy. The next step is for Verlander to start throwing off a mound. Then he likely would make two or three starts on a minor-league rehab before pitching in a big-league game.
Ausmus was asked if Verlander could be back before the end of May.
“We don’t have a timetable,” the manager said. “He has to start building up his arm strength again, basically from ground zero. We’ll just see how it goes.”
The Tigers also plan on proceeding cautiously because they don’t want Verlander to suffer a setback and be sidelined even longer.
