We all recall May 27—Justin Verlander, the star pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, was attempting to throw pitches despite having a strained pectoral muscle in his right arm. He had been struggling with his velocity and control over pitches ever since he was shelved on May 19 due to inflammation in his muscle. And that was quite evident from the Giants losing 3-1 against the Detroit Tigers. But what followed the next day was even more concerning, as he couldn’t get back to his usual form, the Giants had to place Verlander on the 15-day injured list. However, there’s a glimmer of hope now, as the Giants’ manager dropped a major update on the star’s return.

Verlander seems to be getting back into the groove gradually. He managed to throw 65 pitches in a simulated game session. This is his first season in a Giants jersey. And let’s be fair—he also wants to prove himself, no matter what. The good news is that he was able to face Daniel Johnson, Christian Koss, and Jerar Encarnacion.

Now that the 42-year-old right-hander is being closely monitored by the manager, Bob Melvin remains optimistic about Verlander’s return to the mound. “Exactly what we were looking for,” he said. And if things go the right way, hopefully, we can even see Verlander rejoining the rotation as soon as next week. 

But is it certain that he will be making a comeback soon?

Well, going by Melvin’s reaction, Verlander seems to be on the verge of recovery. Diving deeper into the pitches, Melvin explained how nobody had enough chances to hit the ball hard against him. “He had a lot of swings and misses, and I don’t know if anybody hit a ball hard off him today.” It was 65 pitches, and depending on how Verlander feels tomorrow, they will prepare the next plan, according to Bob Melvin.

But throwing at Coors Field also contributed to his ability to showcase his skills while facing the batters. According to the manager, he was better than the previous day, and his breaking ball was on target, which is quite tough when hitting the strike zones.

Melvin, however, remained tight-lipped about the date of his return. Rather, for now, he would like to see how Verlander feels after making some throws in Denver. And then the decision will be made. And we cannot disagree with him either, right? Absolutely! But even if Verlander returns to the mound, there’s a big question mark for the Giants at the moment.

Will Justin Verlander’s return give a boost to the Giants?

Well, that’s a tough question to answer right now. Verlander, once the American League’s Most Valuable Player and a three-time Cy Young Award winner, hasn’t been in the best form in the last couple of years. His stats continue to raise eyebrows. Guess why?

Despite having a decorated career record of 262-150 with a 3.31 ERA in his 536 starts, Verlander has faltered recently. Ever since he signed with the Giants for a one-year, $15 million contract, Verlander has posted a 4.33 ERA, a 0-3 record, 41 strikeouts, and 21 walks in his ten starts.

While it may add to the woes of the Giants, who were hoping to get him back as quickly as possible, it’s worth mentioning that his ERA has slightly improved from last year. He had a 5.48 ERA last season. Age is also not on his side anymore. Who knows, these may very well be his final days in the major leagues.

However, despite all the lacklustre performances, it cannot be denied that he is still a future Hall of Famer candidate. Verlander can still throw fast pitches. He can strike out batters. He can eat the innings, putting pressure on the opponent batters. So, Verlander still has a lot left in him. And hopefully, with his unyielding presence on the mound and by staying healthy, we can expect to see him back sooner than expected.