Justin Verlander joins Mud Hens during rehab, pushes sell-out crowd

Posted June 15, 2026

Justin Verlander joins Mud Hens during rehab, pushes sell-out crowd

When the Toledo Mud Hens announced Justin Verlander would be the starting pitcher for Wednesday night's game, 8-year-old Harrison Miller had to get his hands on two tickets.

“We are here because of Verlander, Harrison is a Tigers fan, so we are just here to watch him,” Sean Miller, Harrison’s father, said. “This is kind of wild because Verlander started so young.”

For Harrison Miller, passing up an opportunity to watch the pitcher was not an option and when he heard the news, he was “happy.”

The Major League Baseball phenomenon and future Hall of Famer took to the pitching mound at 7:05 p.m., welcomed by a roar of applause and cheers from the stands. The 43-year-old made his debut with the Tigers in 2005, but also played for the Houston Astros, New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants.

The Detroit Tigers sent Verlander on a rehab assignment to the Hens on June 2 where he pitched five scoreless innings against the Iowa Cubs.

Wednesday’s game brought in a crowd of about 10,500 people, with more than 2,000 in standing room only. Following the announcement of Verlander’s appearance, the Hens sold about 6,000 tickets between Sunday and Wednesday.

Before the June 2 game, Verlander’s last time wearing the Hens jersey was in 2015. Although the Hens fell to the St. Paul Saints 12-1 Wednesday, having the baseball star pitch for Toledo was a monumental moment for multiple attendees.

Steven Colombo, Toledo native, grew up watching the Hens and Tigers. Colombo said he could “feel the buzz” in the ballpark Wednesday night.

“Anytime you watch a Hall of Famer, it's something special,” Colombo said. “I’ve seen him up in Detroit plenty of times. It's awesome to see this happen again at the tail end of his career.”

Hundreds of Detroit fans sported their Tigers gear at Fifth Third Field before the game, anticipating Verlander’s warm up. Lavonda Steinberger said she and her husband do not attend Mud Hens games frequently, but made the trip from Clyde, Ohio, to watch the pitcher.

“I’ve been a Tigers fan for 35 or 40 years,” Steinberger said.

For other Mud Hens fans, the name “Verlander” was unknown and his appearance was a happy accident.

“I learned who he is today,” Lacee Shepherd said with a laugh. “Our spouses are big fans, so they were excited to hear that he was gonna throw. This is exciting, it is a big milestone.”

Accompanying Shepherd were other family members and friends fashioning Mud Hens and Tigers gear, including Nick Wynn.

“I found out he was pitching when we got here,” Wynn said. “It's pretty sweet seeing him come here. The kids are going to get to see one of the greatest pitchers since 2005.”

Children of all ages were accompanied by their families Wednesday night, some understanding Verlander’s impact in baseball, and others who will be retold years down the road.

Rob and Kelly Burnett said they watched the pitcher when he last played for the Hens 10 years ago and were determined to bring their two children this time around.

“It's good to see him bring a lot of people down here,” Rob Burnett said. “For all these people to see him here in Toledo versus having to go up to Detroit is just awesome. Now that he's back with Detroit, you just see this whole support system coming back. It’s just great to see how enthusiastic people are about the Detroit Tigers again.”

As Verlander stepped off the mound after five innings with three strikeouts, fans waved to him from the crowd, generating a feeling of nostalgia and community.

Kenny Sayen watched Wednesday’s game from the suite level, recalling his childhood days as a baseball fan.

“It is just a chance for us little guys to see him, you know,” Sayen said. “I think it's good that he's been around for so long too and can kind of coach and teach the younger ones the ropes.”

Written By: Gina Napoli