Justin Verlander appears to have passed the final test necessary to get the green light for his return to the majors — and his Mets debut.
The 40-year-old right-hander threw 69 pitches across 4.2 scoreless innings for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, the Mets’ Double-A affiliate, on Friday afternoon where he allowed just two hits, struck out six, and walked one.
More importantly, he said he felt good.
“I feel good, no issues,” Verlander told reporters after his start. “I should be ready to go whenever they say I’m ready to pitch.”
That date is currently set to be on May 3 in Detroit against his former club, the Tigers, considering he’s been adhering to a five-day schedule for the last week and a half. He threw a simulated game on Sunday in Port St. Lucie, FL where he threw 43 pitches.
Friday’s rehab start was the last objective he needed to clear to complete his rehab from a strained shoulder suffered just before the start of the regular season.
“I could have tightened up my pitch shapes a little bit but I don’t want to be too picky,” Verlander said. “It’s the first game action in over a month so to be healthy is the biggest factor. I checked that box.”
Verlander signed a 2-year, $86.6 million contract over the winter to join the Mets after winning his third-career Cy Young Award and the 2022 World Series with the Houston Astros.
