SAN FRANCISCO — Justin Verlander will be placed on the IL with a mild pectoral strain and miss his next two starts, Giants manager Bob Melvin announced in a postgame press conference on Wednesday. The move is retroactive to May 18.
The decision to move Verlander to the IL came after he threw on the side before Wednesday’s game, which was his first throwing session since his start on Sunday. In that start, his velocity was down and he walked a season-high five batters, both issues he attributed to his physical discomfort.
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“There are always things you’re pushing through,” he said when asked about how he felt during that start. “It’s always difficult to be 100 percent in this game. It was one of those things where I thought I was going to be just fine. Then I go out there and start throwing, look up (at the scoreboard) after the first pitch and see 90-91, and I thought, ‘Oh, boy. Gonna be a tough day.’”
The move isn’t expected to sideline Verlander for longer than the IL stint, and he described the injury as “a little irritation” and said it wasn’t related to the neck problems that derailed a large portion of his 2024 season. After his throwing session, he described the chances that he could make his next start as “borderline,” but that the team didn’t want to rush him back and risk further injury. He also said the uncertainty of the injury made it more practical for the team to get another pitcher on the active roster, just in case he wasn’t ready.
“That’s the problem, not being able to say 100 percent (that he could return after skipping just one start),” he said. “I need a few more days to determine that, and the retroactive date for the IL is today.”
Melvin said it was too early to know how the Giants would fill Verlander’s turn in the rotation, but the Giants have plenty of options. Kyle Harrison — who has been a starter throughout his career until recently joining the Giants bullpen — threw 16 pitches in a bullpen outing on Tuesday, which would presumably make him available for a start on Saturday, when Verlander was scheduled to pitch next. The Giants also have Jordan Hicks, who was in the rotation as recently as last week, but he’s thrown an inning in relief two out of the last three days, which leaves him as a less likely option.
The most intriguing move the Giants could make might be calling up prospect Carson Whisenhunt for his MLB debut. The 24-year-old left-hander has thrown seven innings in each of his last four starts in Triple A, with a 1.29 ERA, 28 strikeouts and two walks. After not allowing an earned run in 14 innings over two starts last week, he was named the Pacific Coast League’s Pitcher of the Week. He is not on the 40-man roster yet, although there is room on the roster after the team designated infielder David Villar for assignment earlier in the week.
If the Giants decide to move Harrison into the rotation for two starts, they’ll likely fill his spot in the bullpen with a dedicated reliever. Of the options on the 40-man roster, Sean Hjelle has the most major-league experience and is pitching well for Triple-A Sacramento, with Tristan Beck also a possibility. If the Giants are more concerned about replacing Harrison’s ability to throw multiple innings — especially after Hayden Birdsong’s return to the rotation left the Giants without another bulk-innings option out of the bullpen — they could go with Trevor McDonald, who is also on the 40-man roster and who has both started and relieved in Triple A this season.
(Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
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