Justin Verlander eager to prove he can still pitch at highest level after injury-plagued 2024 season
FILE - Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander delivers against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Phil Long]
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Justin Verlander is determined to show he can still pitch at the highest level after a forgettable, injury-plagued 2024 season. Buster Posey and the San Francisco Giants believe the three-time Cy Young Award winner can still bring it, counting on him to help them contend again in the talented NL West. For the first time in nearly two decades as a major league pitcher, Verlander didn’t take an offseason break from throwing. He needed to keep a baseball in his hand so his shoulder would cooperate. He needed the routine, to maintain a rhythm.
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