Lakeland, Fla. — Halfway through spring training and Justin Verlander is liking what he’s seeing.
“Seeing guys healthy is a huge indicator,” Verlander said after throwing three scoreless, one-hit innings in the Tigers’ 11-5 win over the Nationals Wednesday. “This team is going to hit if they’re healthy. The numbers on the backs of their bubble gum cards are going to show up as long as guys are right.”
Verlander watched Ian Kinsler, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Miguel Cabrera all swat home runs against the Nats. Nate Schierholtz added a three-run shot in the seventh and Tyler Collins blasted one off the batter’s eye in center field, giving the Tigers an MLB-leading 18 home runs in 10 games this spring.